Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of adequacy of the time taken to recruit (a) allied health professionals, (b) doctors and (c) nurses in each of the last five years; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken to recruit allied health professionals on (i) rehabilitation and (iI) elective services.

The Department has made no specific assessment of the adequacy of the time taken to recruit allied health professionals, doctors, and nurses in each of the last five years.

Currently, the Department has no plans to make an assessment on the potential impact of the time taken to recruit allied health professionals on rehabilitation and elective services.

NHS England published its planning guidance for 2025/26 in January 2025. This guidance sets out clear priorities for the National Health Service, including the delivery of the interim electives ambition that nationally, 65% of patients are seen within 18 weeks, along with an expected minimum 5% improvement on current performance for each trust, as set out in the Elective Reform Plan. It is for trusts and integrated care boards to manage the recruitment and staffing of all professions to deliver on these priorities within their agreed financial allocations.

On 11 August 2025, the Government announced the Graduate Guarantee for nurses and midwives. The guarantee will ensure that there are enough positions for every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England. The package of measures will unlock thousands of jobs and will ensure thousands of new posts are easier to access by removing barriers for NHS trusts, creating opportunities for graduates and ensuring a seamless transition from training to employment.