Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Imkaan report entitled Why should our rage be tidy, published in November 2024, what steps his Department is taking to increase the diversity of the NHS therapeutic workforce.

The National Health Service has an incredibly diverse workforce with over 75% of roles filled by women and over 25% of roles filled by people from an ethnic minority background. We expect NHS organisations to work to address inequalities that exist in the workplace to ensure the best outcomes for patients. As part of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan, employers across the NHS must embed fair and inclusive recruitment processes and talent management strategies that target under representation and lack of diversity in the workforce. Local NHS leaders remain best placed to take an evidence-based approach to recruitment and resourcing decisions.