Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the length of time for nursing applications to reach pre-2015 levels in the event of the reintroduction of financial incentives for people entering the nursing profession.

NHS England and NHS Improvement, with Health Education England, are leading work on the NHS People Plan, working alongside a wide range of external organisations in its formulation. As part of the development of the plan, arm’s length bodies have periodically updated Departmental Ministers on the scope of the People Plan nursing work strands which are focused on areas such as retaining, supporting the existing nursing workforce, increasing undergraduate supply and making the National Health Service the best place to work.

Options for inclusion in the final People Plan will be a decision for the NHS People Board, ahead of the People Plan publication, planned by the end of this year. It is therefore not possible to make estimates on the impact of options which are not currently NHS or Government policy.