Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of midwives in Bristol East constituency.

While NHS England retain oversight of local workforce plans and are updated on vacancy rates, recruitment and retention is undertaken at trust level.

In 2022, NHS England has invested a further £127 million in the National Health Service maternity workforce and improving neonatal care, including in Bristol East. This is in addition to £95 million invested in 2021 to fund the establishment of posts for a further 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians.

The NHS People Plan has been developed to focus on improving the retention of NHS staff by prioritising staff health and wellbeing. In 2022/23, £45 million has been invested in to support the continuation of 40 mental health hubs, the Professional Nurse Advocates programme and expanding the NHS Practitioner Health service.