Paediatrics: Palliative Care

(asked on 27th June 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to increase the number of paediatric palliative care consultants in England; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Edward Argar Portrait
Edward Argar
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This question was answered on 30th June 2022

There are currently no nationally planned targeted recruitment campaigns for paediatric palliative care consultants. Individual National Health Service trusts are responsible for the recruitment of local staff, including medical consultants. In 2022, 98.5% of specialty training posts in paediatrics have been filled by Health Education England.

We have increased the number of medical school places in England by 25% from 6,000 to 7,500 per year, to ensure a sustainable supply of paediatric palliative care consultants in future years. In February 2022, there were 9,562 full time equivalent (FTE) doctors in the specialty group of paediatrics in NHS trusts and clinical commissioning groups in England. This is an increase of 33%) since February 2010 and includes 3,957 FTE consultants, an increase of 65.9% since February 2010.

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