NHS emergency department workforce swells following recruitment drive

Health Education England and the College of Emergency Medicine have highlighted the number of additional accident and emergency doctors that have been recruited in the last year.

A total of 260 more A&E doctors than last year have been hired following an NHS recruitment drive, including 101 junior doctors specialising in emergency medicine, 51 existing junior doctors staying in the field and 58 additional staff members transferring to the sector.

Meanwhile, 50 experienced medics from India, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Malaysia are due to start on fixed-term contracts from November.

According to the government, these figures show how Health Education England has been able to successfully raise the profile of a medical specialty and improve recruitment by working collaboratively across the whole health system.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "We know some parts of the NHS are under pressure because of increased demand. That's why we're investing in a record number of A&E doctors so patients continue getting treated quickly."

A&E doctors are likely to be in particular demand over the coming months, given the rise in patient numbers that typically accompanies wintery weather.