This specific assessment has not been made. Officials have noted the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ report.

In relation to pay and training places, on 29 June 2026, the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee announced that their membership had voted to accept an offer from the Government to resolve their dispute on pay and jobs. The deal for resident doctors includes the introduction of up to 4,500 specialty training places over the next three years in England.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. That is why NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that the expansion of places is sustainable and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

The Government greatly values consultants and specialty, associate specialists, and specialist doctors and remains committed to working with trade unions to improve the working lives of all senior doctors, including anaesthetists.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out the action we will take to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan.

The National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce has been designed to be agile and make decisions at pace, whilst still representing a breadth of perspectives, experiences and professions across the maternity and neonatal system. Women’s representation on the Taskforce is essential.

However, we recognise the importance of much wider perspectives to ensure the Taskforce can achieve its aims, which is why we have set up eight expert reference groups, which will feed directly into the taskforce. These groups will ensure the taskforce benefits from a broad range of perspectives including from clinical, academic, workforce, charitable and grassroots organisations, families and women, and regulatory and investigatory bodies.

We currently have anaesthetist representation on the Workforce, Clinical and Academic Expert Reference Group, namely Dr Nuala Lucas, President of the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association.

Next steps on delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to create 1,000 new specialty training posts over the next three years with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need will be set out in due course.

Alongside this, the Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this spring. It will set out a clear roadmap to improve working lives in the National Health Service, providing better treatment of staff, higher-quality training, and more fulfilling roles.

Next steps on delivery of the 10-Year Health Plan’s commitment to create 1,000 new specialty training posts over the next three years with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need will be set out in due course.

Alongside this, the Government will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan later this spring. It will set out a clear roadmap to improve working lives in the National Health Service, providing better treatment of staff, higher-quality training, and more fulfilling roles.

There are no supply issues regarding epidural insertion kits, but there are supply issues impacting some of the usual medicines used to provide pain relief via epidural infusion. However, a range of licensed and unlicensed bags, including unlicensed imports, remain available, and the situation is being closely monitored.

To ensure a system-wide co-ordinated approach on using these products and safe implementation, a National Patient Safety Alert was issued on 2 December 2025 with clear and comprehensive management guidance. The Department and NHS England have also worked with professional stakeholders to provide clinical advice for clinicians at hospital level to minimise potential disruption and maintain safe patient care, a copy of which is attached.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan published in July this year, over the three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association Resident Doctors Committee which was rejected. The offer included the creation of 4,000 more specialty training places, with 1,000 of these brought forward to this year and emergency legislation which would prioritise United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland medical graduates for foundation training, and prioritise UK and Republic of Ireland medical graduates and doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period of time for specialty training. This would have applied for current applicants for training posts starting in 2026, and every year after that.

We have also made changes for the 2025 specialty training application round to help tackle bottlenecks. Full registration with the General Medical Council is now required at the point of application to specialty training rather than when a successful applicant would take up post, and the number of applications that an applicant can make is restricted to five, whereas previously it has been unlimited.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the adequacy of the size of the anaesthetist workforce in the East of England and/or the St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire constituency. Appropriate National Health Service staffing levels are determined locally.

We set out in the 10-Year Health Plan for England published in July 2025 that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need.

On 8 December, the Government put an offer in writing to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee, which was rejected. The offer would have increased the number of training posts over the next three years from the 1,000 announced in the 10-Year Health Plan to 4,000, bringing forward 1,000 of these training posts to start in 2026. The BMA have rejected the Government's offer, so that is not going ahead. The Government will consider its next steps.

There are no supply issues regarding epidural insertion kits, but there are supply issues impacting some of the usual medicines used to provide pain relief via epidural infusion. However, a range of licensed and unlicensed bags, including unlicensed imports, remain available, and the situation is being closely monitored.

To ensure a system-wide co-ordinated approach on using these products and safe implementation, a National Patient Safety Alert was issued on 2 December 2025 with clear and comprehensive management guidance. The Department and NHS England have also worked with professional stakeholders to provide clinical advice for clinicians at hospital level to minimise potential disruption and maintain safe patient care, which is available at the following link:

https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2025-12/Epidural%20infusions%20vFinal_0.pdf

No assessment has been made of the potential impact of plans to reform the immigration settlement system on the number of anaesthetists working in the health service.

The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to reform the current settlement rules in favour of an “earned settlement” model, that considers factors such as contribution, integration, and conduct. The consultation, which runs until February 2026, seeks views on how these reforms should apply to different groups, including health and care workers.

No recent formal assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of hysteroscopy procedures under anaesthetic in North Shropshire and in England.

The information held by NHS England on hysteroscopy waiting times at the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board does not readily allow hysteroscopy procedures with an anaesthetist to be separately identified.

It is unacceptable that some women have such poor experiences of hysteroscopies. Women must be given the opportunity to speak to the doctor or nurse before having the procedure about what to expect, and to discuss pain relief options, including the option of local or general anaesthetic. Women can also discuss the option of alternative treatment, such as pelvic ultrasound.

For patients in North Shropshire, the gynaecological unit within the Shropshire Women and Children’s Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford provides women with access to hysteroscopy services.

It is our aim to treat all women as individuals, acknowledge they have unique expectations and unique physical, psychological, emotional, and cultural needs. The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust is committed to providing a quality service for women that provides care with courtesy, kindness, and warmth for women and their families.

No recent formal assessment has been made of the adequacy of the availability of hysteroscopy procedures under anaesthetic in North Shropshire and in England.

The information held by NHS England on hysteroscopy waiting times at the NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board does not readily allow hysteroscopy procedures with an anaesthetist to be separately identified.

It is unacceptable that some women have such poor experiences of hysteroscopies. Women must be given the opportunity to speak to the doctor or nurse before having the procedure about what to expect, and to discuss pain relief options, including the option of local or general anaesthetic. Women can also discuss the option of alternative treatment, such as pelvic ultrasound.

For patients in North Shropshire, the gynaecological unit within the Shropshire Women and Children’s Centre at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford provides women with access to hysteroscopy services.

It is our aim to treat all women as individuals, acknowledge they have unique expectations and unique physical, psychological, emotional, and cultural needs. The Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust is committed to providing a quality service for women that provides care with courtesy, kindness, and warmth for women and their families.

No assessment has been made. Officials have noted the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ report. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published in July 2025, over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

No specific recent assessment has been made by the Department on the impact of the levels of the anaesthetic workforce’s availability on elective surgery waiting times. Local providers are best placed to make decisions on workforce capacity to reflect local service demand and circumstances.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, set out that over the next three years we will create 1,000 new specialty training posts with a focus on specialties where there is the greatest need. We will set out next steps in due course.

The principle question of the Leng Review was to assess whether the roles of physician and anaesthesia associate, which we recommend should now be known as physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia, are safe and effective. The review’s findings were clear that, with changes in line with its recommendations, there remains a place for these roles to continue as supportive, complementary members of medical teams.

NHS England has written to National Health Service trusts, integrated care boards and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to staff most affected by the recommendations setting out where they can find support if required. Whilst decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual NHS employers at a local level, physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia will continue to play an important role in the NHS.

Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.

The principle question of the Leng Review was to assess whether the roles of physician and anaesthesia associate, which we recommend should now be known as physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia, are safe and effective. The review’s findings were clear that, with changes in line with its recommendations, there remains a place for these roles to continue as supportive, complementary members of medical teams.

NHS England has written to National Health Service trusts, integrated care boards and primary care networks reiterating their responsibilities to their staff as employers, including providing pastoral support where required. Importantly, it has also written directly to staff most affected by the recommendations setting out where they can find support if required. Whilst decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual NHS employers at a local level, physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia will continue to play an important role in the NHS.

Our forthcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan will look at how to get the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the best care and we will consider the findings of the Leng Review when developing the plan.

On 16 July 2025, Professor Gillian Leng published her review into physician associates and anaesthesia associates, now to be renamed physician assistants and physician assistants in anaesthesia.

Professor Leng set out 18 recommendations that will give much-needed clarity, certainty, and confidence to staff and patients. The Government is accepting these recommendations in full. Some actions will be implemented immediately, whilst others will require wider input, with benefits being fully realised over time.

The Department, alongside NHS England, royal colleges, and other system partners, including representatives of doctors, physician assistants, and physician assistants in anaesthesia, will develop a detailed implementation plan to address the review’s 18 recommendations.