Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the recent fall in EU immigration on trends in NHS recruitment during Winter 2017.

The latest data available from NHS Digital shows as at June 2017 there was an increase of over 5% in the number of EU27 nationals employed in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups compared with June 2016.

Ensuring appropriate staffing over winter is essential. NHS England and NHS Improvement have worked with the National Health Service to ensure that plans are in place to meet the demands put on the service. This includes necessary staffing levels.

As announced in the Autumn Budget, an extra £335 million, on top of the previously announced £100 million will be provided to relieve pressure on accident and emergency departments. An additional £1 billion of funding will be spent on meeting adult social care needs, supporting the social care market and reducing pressure on the NHS this year.