Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of Trusts have designated recruitment teams focused on elective care specialties; and whether he plans on rolling out this initiative to more Trusts.

The Department does not hold information on how many and what proportion of trusts have designated recruitment teams focused on elective care specialties.

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care for patients, when they need it.