Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS trusts are not subject to recruitment freezes where they risk compromising delivery of the graduate guarantee.

The Government is committed to taking a long-term approach to workforce planning, including strengthening the supply and retention of maternity staff as set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. This includes ensuring that newly qualified midwives are supported into employment and that workforce decisions align with both service need and long-term sustainability.

Following an £8 million investment to expand midwifery workforce capacity, more than 850 additional temporary roles have been created to support and employ more newly qualified midwives since September 2025, supporting the Government’s objective that every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England can apply to join the health workforce.