Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of nursing apprenticeships on levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the NHS.

Apprenticeships are an important way to widen routes into the nursing profession, by providing opportunities for people from all backgrounds, and for whom a full-time university course may not be practical or preferred. They also offer existing staff new ways to continue to progress and develop in their career.

We will publish a refreshed workforce plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again. This will include how we ensure we train healthcare staff, through all training routes, to support patients in all of our communities.