Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, reference to para 5.59 of the Autumn Statement, CP 751, published on 17 November, which organisations he plans to involve in independently verifying the NHS workforce forecasts; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of including medical royal colleges holding workforce census data in this process.

The Government has committed to publishing a workforce plan next year, which will include independently verified forecasts for the number of healthcare professionals required in future years, taking account of improvements in retention and productivity. NHS England is engaging with a range of stakeholders in developing this plan.