Almost 1,600 extra nurses in East this year
The Health Secretary said he is "deeply grateful" for the work of NHS staff during the pandemic
According to figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) there was an increase of 1,581 nurses in the East of England this year.
The same statistics show a rise in the number of doctors in the region by 580.
Quarterly vacancies within the NHS also decreased by over 18,500 since last year, with nursing and midwifery gaps falling by more than 15%.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: "Not only do we have 580 more doctors and 1,581 more NHS nurses working in the East of England since last year, but our pipeline of future talent in nursing, medicine and general practice is now at record levels.
"We are well on our way to deliver on our manifesto commitment of 50,000 more nurses in the NHS. I’m deeply grateful for the continued hard work of all our NHS staff throughout this pandemic."
Across England there was a total increase of 14,813 in nurses and 6,257 doctors.
There was also a spike in the interest in becoming a nurse, with UCAS figures showing the number of people accepting a place to study nursing in England increased by 23%, equating to an addition 5,000 or more student nurses.