GP trainee numbers in England have risen 15 per cent in 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. The number has been increasing for the past three years, official data shows.
There have been 3441 acceptances onto GP specialty training in 2020, compared to 2891 in 2019, according to the figures released by Health Education England (HEE) on Tuesday (21).
With one more recruitment round to go, the HEE would easily beat its target for recruiting 3,500 doctors in training to General Practice this year, an official statement said.
The UK government plans to grow the workforce by 6,000 more doctors, as well as thousands more physiotherapists, pharmacists and other highly-skilled practitioners, to deliver an extra 50 million appointments a year.
“We’re now well on our way to beating our annual target, showing there is growing interest in this fantastic career," said health secretary Matt Hancock.
“These new trainees will ensure a pipeline of talent for the future and help us deliver an extra 50 million appointments a year for patients as well as 6,000 more doctors in general practice.”
The government has committed an additional £1.5 billion in cash terms for general practice over the next four years to help boost the workforce. This is in addition to the £4.5 billion real terms annual increase announced for primary and community care in the NHS Long Term Plan by 2023-24.
Earlier this month, the latest UCAS statistics revealed a 16 per cent rise in applicants for nursing and midwifery courses in England, the second year-on-year increase.
FILE PHOTO: A woman walks past a poster displaying a message of defiance to the terror attack of May 22 at the Manchester Arena, in Manchester, northwest England on May 31, 2017. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)