According to the latest statistics, there are record numbers of NHS doctors and nurses working in England for the third month running.

The provisional figures show that as of March 2021, there are a total of 124,078 doctors and 304,542 nurses working in the NHS. Compared to the same time last year, there are over 5,600 more doctors and over 10,800 more nurses working in the NHS. There are also record numbers of hospital and community health staff overall (1,197,747).

There has also been a 34 per cent increase in applicants to study nursing this year, and all eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students will benefit from a non-repayable grant from the government, worth at least £5,000 a year.

The government has made a commitment to delivering 50,000 more NHS nurses by the end of this Parliament.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “It is hugely encouraging to see the number of doctors and nurses has peaked yet again, with over 124,000 doctors and 304,000 nurses working in our NHS. Our expanding NHS workforce will help to provide safe care to patients and continue the success of the vaccination programme, as we work to tackle backlogs and build back better. I’d like to thank all health and social care staff across the country for their tremendous work and commitment this past year.”