Important step but this must not ignore urgent need for decisive investment in NHS workforce

Responding to the announcement that Health Education England (HEE) has been commissioned to produce a refreshed long-term workforce numbers plan, the chief executive of the NHS Employers and the deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, Danny Mortimer said:

“In commissioning Health Education England to lead on developing this long-term NHS workforce plan, the government have taken a very important and positive step.  Our members will look forward to constructively engaging with both HEE and NHS England to deliver a plan for adequately staffing health and care which responds to the needs of local communities and highlights opportunities for innovation and integration in our ways of working.

“However, this announcement should not obscure the urgent need for decisive investment by the Prime Minister and Chancellor in addressing the chronic staffing issues facing both the NHS and social care.  Healthcare leaders also want to see much greater clarity on the impact that recent interventions, including the expansion of medical schools, the target to recruit 38,000 more nurses and the increased uptake of undergraduate education, will have in the years to come.  Understanding this will help leaders plan more realistically, and better identify the staffing gaps hampering the future delivery of the NHS long-term plan, as well as the huge waiting list backlog.”