Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the gender pay gap in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

The gender pay gap in the health and social care sector, according to the Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings for 2019 is 17.7%.

A review examining the extent and causes of the gender pay gap in medicine has been completed and will be published in due course. Chaired by Professor Dame Jane Dacre, the review has identified 47 recommendations which will impact on both the gender pay gap in medicine and across the wider National Health Service workforce.

The Government Equalities Office has published evidence-based guidance on practical actions employers can take to close the gap, alongside help to develop action plans. We expect all NHS employers to have a clear action plan in place to address their gender pay gap.