Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to increase the number of nurses in Cumbria.

We are committed to delivering 50,000 more nurses by the end of this Parliament. This expanded nursing workforce will be available to support all National Health Service trusts in England, including Cumbria, through improving the domestic training, international recruitment and focusing on retention of existing staff. The Learning Support Fund provides non-repayable grants for student nurses studying in England, with all eligible students receiving at least £5,000 per year. We have also introduced an apprenticeship pathway from healthcare assistant to registered nurse.

In addition, the North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust is expanding its nursing workforce, including working with the University of Cumbria to develop domestic recruitment and introducing support for overseas nurses.