Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many clinical endoscopists have been recruited to date as part of Health Education England’s target to recruit and train an additional 400 clinical endoscopists.

To address the increasing demand for endoscopy services, Health Education England (HEE) has worked with the Joint Advisory Committee on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy to develop a clinical endoscopist training programme.

HEE has been mandated to have 200 clinical endoscopists trained or in training by December 2018 and within the Cancer Workforce Plan committed to train a further 200, and therefore a total of 400 clinical endoscopists by 2021.

There are currently 202 clinical endoscopists who have either completed their training or are currently in training. The trajectory to have 200 clinical endoscopists trained or in training by December 2018 has been achieved.

HEE is currently recruiting for the April 2019 cohort and working towards the target of 400 clinical endoscopists trained or in training by the end of 2021.