Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to encourage trainee doctors to take up rehabilitation as a specialism.

We are committed to training the staff we need, including rehabilitation specialists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.

As of September 2025, there are 490 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the speciality of rehabilitation medicine in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England. This is 24, or 5%, more than last year, 116, or 31.2%, more than 2020, and 232, or 90.2%, more than in 2010. This includes over 164 FTE consultants. This is seven, or 4.3%, more than last year, 15, or 10%, more than in 2020, and 50, or 43.8%, more than in 2010.

Fill rates for ST3 level rehabilitation medicine have been increasing. 94% of training posts were filled in 2025 compared to 54% in 2023 and 60% in 2024.