What was claimed
There are 600 more A&E consultants, 1,500 more A&E doctors, and 2,000 more paramedics.
Our verdict
These are roughly correct, comparing since 2010.
Staffing in A&E
8 February 2017
“He refers specifically to Accident and Emergency. What is our response on Accident and Emergency? We see 600 more A&E consultants, 1,500 more A&E doctors, and 2,000 more paramedics.”
Theresa May, 8 February 2017
These figures are all roughly correct, comparing to 2010 each time, although departments have still been facing increased pressures to cope with demand.
12,500 paramedics worked in the NHS in October last year, the latest figures. At the same point in 2010 it was about 10,300—so about the same size increase the Prime Minister is referring to.
Similarly you’d find over 1,600 A&E consultants at the moment and 1,050 back in 2010, not far off the 600 increase being quoted.
In total about 6,350 doctors of all grades work in emergency medicine now compared to 5,050 at the same time back in 2010. That’s about 1,300 more, so a little less than Mrs May claims.
It’s still the case that A&E units across the country are facing severe pressures to meet rising demand, and experts from the King’s Fund have warned in the past that departments still face difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.
Our staffing figures use full-time equivalent counts.