Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Medical Support Worker scheme for (a) international medical graduates, (b) out-of-practice doctors and (c) refugee doctors indefinitely.

The Medical Support Worker Scheme is already available to international medical graduates, including refugees, as well as doctors returning to practice to assist during the pandemic. During 2021, 423 medical support workers have been employed in the National Health Service in England. Discussions around the future of the scheme are ongoing.