PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Endoscopy (1 June 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to increase (a) training and (b) employment of endoscopists for the optimisation of bowel screening.

Asked by:
Zarah Sultana (Independent)

The Health Education England (HEE) Cancer Workforce Plan commits to produce a further 200 clinical endoscopists by 2021, in addition to the 200 that were already committed, to support an increase in capacity for earlier diagnosis. As at May 2020, 247 have either been trained or are currently in training.

A training support package was made available by HEE in 2017-20 to support the training of some clinical endoscopist trainees. Training grant arrangements have been further agreed for cohorts commencing in late 2020 to support trusts to put trainees forward and to provide the necessary clinical supervision throughout the programme.

An initial evaluation shows trainees are helping to meet clinical demand, reduce waiting lists and contributing to a good patient experience.

Answered by:
Jo Churchill (Conservative)
9 June 2020