Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the (a) rate of and (b) average time taken to fill clinical radiology vacancies in the North East.

No specific assessment has been made. National Health Service trusts are responsible for managing vacancies and recruitment processes locally.

As of July 2022, there were 696 full time equivalent doctors working in the clinical radiology specialism in the North East and Yorkshire. This is an increase of 2.7% compared to July 2021 and a 34% increase since July 2010. From 2016 to 2021, there has been an increase in entry points of 63% in clinical radiology specialty training places in England.

We have funded an additional 1,500 undergraduate medical school places each year for domestic students in England, with the first graduates entering foundation training from August 2022. We have also delivered five new medical schools in England, including at the University of Sunderland.