Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how responsibility for workforce planning and advanced specialist surgical training will be managed following the abolition of NHS England.

The importance of maintaining pipeline supply and capabilities in the specialist surgical workforce is recognised within the legacy functions of NHS England that the Government intends to transfer into the Department.

Work has commenced to ensure oversight and assurance of a number of specialist areas of practice, including selected Training Interface Group programmes, working with regions, specialised commissioning teams, and national stakeholders to ensure adequate numbers of trained consultants with the required skills.