Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his contribution of 1 December 2014, Official Report, column 61, on NHS (Five Year Forward View), how many full-time equivalent GPs were in post on 1 April 2014; and how many he plans will be in post on 1 April (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, (d) 2018 and (e) 2019.

The annual National Health Service General and Personal Medical Services workforce census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, shows there were 36,294 full time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) working and training in the NHS in England as at 30 September 2013. The next census, reflecting the position in September 2014, will be published in March 2015.

Health Education England (HEE) plans to increase GP training to 3,250 places per year by 2016 from an average of approximately 2,700 per annum over the last five years (representing a 20% increase).

HEE’s commitment to ensure a minimum of 3,250 trainees per year enter GP training programmes in England by 2016 will enable delivery of 20,682 newly qualified GPs by 2020 and will increase the total number of GPs available by 5,000.

Joint action with the Royal College of General Practitioners will seek to promote the future of General Practice and careers in it, so that young doctors choose to take these increased training opportunities.