Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of radiologists working in the NHS in (a) England and (b) Tunbridge Wells Hospital; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of radiologists working in the NHS.

Data published by NHS England shows that as of December 2024, there are 3,998 full-time equivalent (FTE) consultants in the speciality of clinical radiology employed in National Health Service trusts and other core organisations in England. Of these, there are 28 FTE consultants employed in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. Data is not available for the workforce of specific hospitals within NHS hospital trusts.

When including doctors of all grades, there are 5,844 FTE doctors working in the specialty of clinical radiology in NHS trusts and other core organisations in England, 35 of which are employed in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.

We are committed to training the staff we need, including radiologists, to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of the Government’s five long-term missions.

Decisions about recruitment are matters for individual NHS employers. NHS trusts manage their recruitment at a local level, ensuring they have the right number of staff in place, with the right skill mix, to deliver safe and effective care.