Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2021, health in coastal communities, published on 21 July 2021, what steps he plans to take to improve (a) health outcomes and (b) recruitment and retention of NHS staff in coastal areas; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to levelling up health outcomes across the country, including in coastal communities. Reducing health inequalities will be a core aim of the new Office for Health Promotion (OHP). Under the professional leadership of the Chief Medical Officer, the OHP will bring together evidence, data and intelligence on what drives better and more equal health outcomes and develop strong relationships across government and the National Health Service (NHS) to drive change.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all parts of the country, including coastal areas, have the NHS workforce that they need. Health Education England (HEE) is undertaking a range of work with partners to ensure that there are enough NHS staff training and working in all areas of the country, including coastal areas. This includes reviewing the distribution of medical specialty training places to help ensure that trainee doctors are in the right parts of the country. HEE has also commissioned 11 universities to deliver nursing or midwifery degrees with blended learning elements, which will broaden their reach to under-served populations such as coastal areas.