Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the endoscopy workforce to support patients with Crohn’s and colitis.

The NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan sets out the steps needed to meet the future needs of the country, including growing the workforce by: doubling the number of medical school training places, increasing GP training places by 50% and increasing adult nursing training places by 92%. NHSE are putting plans in place to train 50% more clinical endoscopists in 2023-24. This is 75 endoscopists, up from the 50 originally planned. This will ensure there are more doctors and nurse to perform procedures such as endoscopies.