Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of NHS physiotherapy workforce vacancies in England; and what steps he is taking to fill such vacancies.

No specific estimate has been made, as this information is not held centrally.

Since September 2020 we have made a non-repayable training grant of at least £5,000 per academic year available to all eligible students studying a nursing, midwifery or allied health profession course, which includes physiotherapy, with further financial support available to students for childcare, dual accommodation costs and travel.

Health Education England has also established an apprenticeship pathway for physiotherapists, providing an 'earn as you learn' route to a career in the National Health Service. We have commissioned NHS England to develop a long term workforce plan and its conclusions will be available in due course.