Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) train, (2) recruit, and (3) retain, sufficient numbers of podiatrists to meet (a) current, and (b) future, needs.

The NHS People Plan, which will be published by the National Health Service in early 2020, will set out a clear framework for growing and sustaining a well-skilled workforce across the whole NHS.

In December 2019, the Government announced additional maintenance grant funding, which will be available from September 2020 for new and continuing students of £5,000. In addition, students with child dependants will benefit from an extra £1,000 and new students studying a specialist subject including podiatry will be able to access a further £1,000. These grants are on top of student loan allowances and do not need to be re-paid.

NHS Improvement has developed a shared learning resource to improve staff retention, including case studies to highlight the great work taking place across the service.