Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on developing a coordinated UK approach to addressing shortages in the NHS workforce in key specialties.

While planning of the health workforce is devolved in the United Kingdom, specialty training recruitment is undertaken on a UK-wide basis. The UK National Recruitment Board oversees specialty training on behalf of the four UK health departments.

The new resident doctors’ deal will see significant expansion of training places by up to 4,500 over the next three years, including 1,000 next year, 250 of which will be starting in February 2027. Further information on which specialties will receive these places and when, will be set out in due course.