Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the effect that the UK leaving the EU will have on the number of (a) nurses and (b) midwives in the NHS.

NHS Digital publishes information on the number of nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in the National Health Service in England each month.

As at November 2016, there are 287,440 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses including health visitors, and 21,812 FTE midwives working in the NHS Hospital and Community Health Service workforce.

The November data is the most recent data available.

The potential effect on nationals of leaving the European Union will be dependent on the outcome of negotiations. The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status of EU nationals already living here. It is the Government’s aim to get the best settlement for the United Kingdom in all areas including the healthcare system.