Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that a sufficient number of clinical psychologists is available to meet the needs of the NHS.

The Department set up Health Education England (HEE) to deliver a better health and healthcare workforce for England. HEE is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future balancing need against demand, taking into account factors such as the age profile of the existing workforce, the impact of technology, and new drugs.

Investment in the education and training of clinical psychologists is part of the mainstream workforce planning cycle that is set out in the HEE Workforce Planning Guidance published in April. HEE’s Workforce Plan sets out how they will ensure that sufficient clinical psychologists are available.