Neurology: Students
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to encourage students to take up careers in neurology.
Answered by Karin Smyth
We have launched a 10-Year Health Plan to reform the National Health Service. A central and core part of the plan will be our workforce and how we ensure we train and provide the staff, technology, and infrastructure the NHS needs to care for patients across our communities.
No such estimate has been made. We are committed to training the staff we need, including neurologists and consultants specialising in treating Parkinson’s Disease, to ensure that patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it.
As of August 2024, there are 1,917 full-time equivalent (FTE) doctors working in the specialty of neurology in NHS trusts and integrated care boards in England, which is 146, or 8.2%, more than a year ago, and 473, or 32.7%, more than five years ago. Of these, there are 975 FTE consultants, which is 47, or 5%, more than a year ago, and 179, or 22.5%, more than five years ago. In 2024, there are 367 doctors in the NHS in England in postgraduate specialty training for neurology. This is 44, or 13.6%, more than five years ago.
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