Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to recruit young people with the requisite skills to become NHS doctors and nurses.

Health Education England (HEE) was established to deliver a better healthcare workforce for England and is accountable for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future. It ensures that the workforce has the right skills, behaviours and training, and is available in the right numbers, to support the delivery of excellent healthcare and drive improvements.

HEE is committed to creating a supportive learning environment that gives student doctors and nurses the confidence, skills and values to complete their studies and commence their careers as compassionate and competent practitioners.

Published in October 2014, HEE’s Values Based Recruitment Framework was designed with the purpose of ensuring we attract and recruit students, trainees and employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with the values of the NHS Constitution. This should take place as part of existing recruitment processes which assess aptitude, commitment and skills. A copy is attached.