Across England, new figures have shown a record number of doctors and nurses working in the NHS.
The data, provisionally gathered for January 2021, showed there were a total of 123,813 doctors and 301,491 nurses working in the health service in England.
Welcomed by the Government, the record figures suggest progress being made towards their commitment to deliver 50,000 more NHS nurses by the end of this Parliament.
Minister of Care Helen Whately said: “I’m thrilled that the numbers of qualified doctors and nurses working in our NHS have reached an all-time high, with over 123,000 doctors and 301,000 nurses working in our NHS.
“I am incredibly grateful for the hard work and commitment of all health and social care staff as we reach a year since the beginning of the first lockdown.
“Our expanding NHS workforce will help to provide world-class care to patients and continue to deliver life-saving vaccines as we cautiously follow our roadmap back to normality.”
In addition to the record figures, there was also a 34% increase in applicants to study nursing this year.
All eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students will now benefit from a non-repayable Government grant, worth at least £5,000 a year.
