• Recently released figures show that a record number of doctors and nurses are now working in the NHS in England – with the Government on track to deliver on its commitment for 50,000 more nurses by 2024.
• Almost 4,000 more doctors and 9,300 more nurses are working in the NHS compared to September 2021, including more than 560 more doctors and over 2,100 more nurses in the south east of England.
• These new staff will help to deliver additional appointments, speed up diagnoses and help to tackle the Covid backlogs.

Henry Smith MP has welcomed confirmation that the south east of England will receive 563 new doctors and 2,158 new nurses as part of the Government’s NHS recruitment efforts, which means there are now a record number of doctors, nurses, and staff working in the NHS in England.

Henry said;

“The pandemic has resulted in a backlog of operations and procedures – but we must ensure that patients get the care they need.

“Therefore I’m delighted that 563 new doctors and 2,158 new nurses have been recruited in the south east of England as part of a recruitment drive that has seen more doctors and nurses working in the NHS than ever before.

“This recruitment means we are well on our way to recruiting 50,000 more nurses by 2024 – delivering on our promise to the British people.”

Nationally, there are now almost 1.24 million full-time equivalent staff working in the NHS in England – an increase of over 34,000 compared to September 2021.

As part of the recruitment drive, almost 4,000 doctors and over 9,300 nurses have been recruited in the last 12 months, meaning there are now over 34,000 doctors and almost 45,000 nurses working in our NHS.

Together, these doctors and nurses will help to ensure that patients get the care they deserve in our NHS – including by delivering extra scans and checks, cutting waiting times, and delivering vital services.

The recruitment will mean better care for patients in the south east with a total of 2,721 new doctors and nurses for the region.

Since 2010, there are over 34,170 more doctors and over 44,820 more nurses working in the NHS.

For the fifth year running, the Government has hit its target for GP speciality trainee recruitment, with 4,000 new trainee doctors accepting GP training placements.

The Health & Social Care Secretary, Steve Barclay, commented;

“Supporting the workforce is one of my immediate priorities and we are making significant progress in training and recruiting a record number of nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals. There are almost 4,000 more doctors and over 9,000 more nurses in the NHS than last year.

“I want to thank all our brilliant NHS staff who work tirelessly to look after us and our loved ones and continue to inspire future generations to join this rewarding career.

“We’re building a stronger, healthier NHS for the long-term to give people the security of knowing that it will be there for them when they need it.”