Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased resident doctor training places on regional workforce levels, including in underserved and rural areas.

On 29 June 2026, the British Medical Association’s Resident Doctors Committee announced that their membership had voted to accept an offer from the Government to resolve their dispute on pay and jobs.

The deal for resident doctors includes the introduction of up to 4,500 specialty training places over the next three years. Trusts will be asked to create these roles with funding partially coming from repurposing spending on medical locums, agency work, and some locally employed doctor roles coming to an end.

NHS England will work with trusts to ensure that the appropriate clinical supervision capacity and training infrastructure is in place to deliver these changes.

The Government is committed to ensuring the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. That is why NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that the expansion of places is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.