Welsh NHS Confederation responds to Audit Wales report on NHS workforce

Responding to the Audit Wales report on NHS workforce, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation Darren Hughes said:

“We welcome Audit Wales’ report on NHS workforce challenges. It’s no secret that the workforce are the lifeblood of the NHS and social care services.

“NHS leaders have long called for the Welsh Government to invest in a fully costed Long-Term Plan to deliver a sustainable NHS and social care workforce if we are to meet the needs of the people of Wales now and in the future. This will enable the implementation of multi-professional, digitally enabled, motivated, engaged and valued workforce across the NHS and social care.

“It’s important to recognise the mammoth efforts of NHS staff and leaders to reduce the reliance on agency staff and fill vacancies. However, while the NHS workforce continues to grow, this is resulting in continually rising staffing costs and Audit Wales rightly questions the sustainability of this in the current financial climate. 

“NHS leaders believe the future of the NHS’ workforce lies in the multi-disciplinary teams required to respond to the changing needs of the population and growing demand on health and care services. Now more than ever we must strive to work together across NHS and social care boundaries to find long-term solutions to recruitment and retention. But with the absence of a long overdue, government-led national plan for the sector and lack of clarity around system leadership arrangements, health and social care leaders will struggle to deliver the workforce needed to meet the needs of the population.”