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 (a) tackle workforce shortages in NHS pathology and (b) support recruitment campaigns in that specialism.

In November 2021, there were 2,850 full time equivalent consultant pathologists in the National Health Service in England. This is an increase of 1.8% since November 2020 and 16.8% since November 2010. This includes trainees, specialists and doctors on other contracts. We have also increased the number of medical school places in England by 25% to 7,500 per year. The Royal College of Pathologists has worked with Health Education England to promote pathology to medical students at undergraduate level and during the Foundation Programme to encourage the uptake of specialty training in pathology.