Extra accident and emergency doctors recruited

260 more A&E doctors than last year have been recruited following an NHS recruitment drive.

Health Education England and the College of Emergency Medicine have overseen a recruitment drive to ensure a fully staffed A&E in both the short and long term.

The recruitment drive has led to:

• 101 more junior doctors specialising in emergency medicine than last year
• 51 existing junior doctors staying in emergency medicine
• 58 junior doctors transferring to emergency medicine
• 50 experienced medics from India, UAE, Egypt and Malaysia starting on fixed-term contracts from November

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."

HEE Director of Education and Quality Professor Wendy Reid said:

"By working collaboratively across the whole health system and particularly with the College of Emergency Medicine, HEE has shown that we can raise the profile of a medical specialty and improve recruitment.

"We have emphasised the importance of a multi professional approach to meet the needs of patients at a critical time in their lives."