§ Mr. McWalterTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether the number of doctors in training will be sufficient to meet NHS needs and Government waiting list targets, with particular reference to the years from 2001 to 2006. [123300]
§ Mr. DenhamWe aim to ensure through the national workforce planning processes that there will be sufficient doctors in training to meet the future requirements of the National Health Service. Assessments about future staffing needs, including the implications of waiting list targets and other service initiatives, are reviewed annually and the numbers of doctors adjusted accordingly.
On 6 April I announced plans to train almost 400 extra hospital specialists. Added to more specialist doctors already in training, the increase of 393 training places means there should be an additional 13,000 fully trained hospital specialists in the NHS by 2006–07. The additional places will take forward our plans to increase capacity in the NHS, so patients have easier access to faster, fairer and more convenient services.