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Written question asked by Vicky Foxcroft (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 June 2026. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Friday, 19 June 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Rheumatology: Staff

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure sufficient staffing for NHS rheumatology services, including provision of multidisciplinary services.

Answer

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will put the National Health Service workforce on a sustainable footing so it can deliver the service model set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the NHS constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, and we expect integrated care boards to arrange services to meet both this target and interim targets set out in planning guidance.

In March 2026, 70.4% of patients referred on rheumatology pathways were waiting within 18 weeks, exceeding our overall aim of 65%. This is a significant improvement on March 2025, when 65.9% of patients were waiting within 18 weeks.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
5982
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Staff Rheumatology
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk