Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond

Health and Social Care Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 22 Apr 2020 Closed: 10 Feb 2021 Parliament page
The Committee held its last oral evidence session in connection with this inquiry on Tuesday 30 June 2020.
10 Recommendations
21 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
16 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 26 events
15 Jan
2021
Report published
16 Dec
2020
Correspondence
15 Dec
2020
Correspondence
30 Nov
2020
Correspondence
24 Nov
2020
Correspondence
24 Nov
2020
Correspondence
24 Nov
2020
Correspondence
12 Nov
2020
Correspondence
10 Nov
2020
Correspondence
5 Nov
2020
Correspondence
1 Oct
2020
Report published
8 Sep
2020
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
30 Jun 2020
View on parliament.uk
Amanda Pritchard · NHS England Chris Hopson · NHS England Professor Andrew Goddard · Royal College of Physicians Professor Stephen Powis · NHS England Sir Simon Stevens · NHS England and NHS Improvement
16 Jun 2020
View on parliament.uk
Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond
Charlotte Augst · National Voices Daloni Carlisle, cancer treatment patient Dr Katherine Henderson · Royal College of Emergency Medicine Dr Layla McCay · NHS Confederation Mick Armstrong · British Dental Association Professor Derek Alderson · Royal College of Surgeons Rob Martinez, joint replacement patient Sir Robert Francis · HealthWatch England
14 May 2020
View on parliament.uk
Oral evidence
Chris Hopson · NHS England Jennifer Dixon · Health Foundation Nigel Edwards · The Nuffield Trust Richard Murray · The King's Fund
1 May 2020
View on parliament.uk
Claire Murdoch · NHS England Dame Cally Palmer · NHS England Gill Walton · Royal College of Midwives Professor Martin Marshall · Royal College of General Practitioners
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Second Report - Delivering core NHS and care services during the… HC 320 1 Oct 2020 31 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
31 results
1 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
The pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge to the NHS and the Government.
The pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge to the NHS and the Government. Whilst we have no doubt that often communication to patients was as effective as could reasonably be expected in the context of a pandemic, this was not … Read more
Government Response
Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond 17 B. Recommendation at paragraph 140: Definition of Workforce Burnout and monitoring/assessing staff wellbeing We further recommend that NHSE/I … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
2 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
Notwithstanding the actions taken to date, we recommend that NHS England & Improvement review, as...
Notwithstanding the actions taken to date, we recommend that NHS England & Improvement review, as a matter of priority, the directions given to NHS Trusts about how to communicate with patients about the progress of their treatment and important medical … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
3 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
The pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the delivery of core NHS and care...
The pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the delivery of core NHS and care services. This has resulted in the delay, suspension or cancellation of services which in turn has inevitably led to a significant increase in waiting times, … Read more
Government Response
The Government recognises the unprecedented burden that the pandemic has placed on the delivery of core NHS and care services. The Government is committed to ensuring that patients are able … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
4 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recognise the commitment of policy makers and the NHS leadership to restoring core NHS...
We recognise the commitment of policy makers and the NHS leadership to restoring core NHS services and the ongoing efforts to manage the backlog. We are also grateful for the hard work of all staff and the use of innovative … Read more
Government Response
We recognise the commitment of policy makers and the NHS leadership to restoring core NHS services and the ongoing efforts to manage the backlog. We are also grateful for the … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
5 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
During our session on 30 June 2020, Sir Simon Stevens told us that he “expects”...
During our session on 30 June 2020, Sir Simon Stevens told us that he “expects” waiting times for and referrals to core health services to “go up quite significantly over the second half of the year.” We also heard from … Read more
Government Response
For elective care, the official statistics show that waiting times have been impacted by the pandemic, from a combination of enhanced IPC measures, and patients choosing to defer their care. … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
6 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recommend that the Department of Health & Social Care and NHSE/I provide an update...
We recommend that the Department of Health & Social Care and NHSE/I provide an update on what steps they have, individually and collectively, taken and are planning to take to quantify and address the overall impact of the pandemic on … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
7 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We also recommend that NHSE/I provides us with a more broader update on what positive...
We also recommend that NHSE/I provides us with a more broader update on what positive innovations or changes have taken place in the NHS during the pandemic, and how it seeks to ensure all the positive changes that have occurred … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
8 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We further conclude that the delivery of dental services in England has been significantly hindered...
We further conclude that the delivery of dental services in England has been significantly hindered by the pandemic. This has been largely due to the need to protect both patients and staff from COVID-19 which has, in turn, presented financial … Read more
Government Response
The backlog in dental appointments is a function of the precautions needed to avoid infection through COVID-19. DHSC acknowledges the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had on the provision … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
9 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We are concerned that there does not appear to be a plan for the restoration...
We are concerned that there does not appear to be a plan for the restoration of dental services in England. We recommend that Sara Hurley (Chief Dental Officer for England) sets out her assessment of the challenges facing dentistry services … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
10 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recognise the unprecedented scale of the challenge facing the Government and NHSE/I to keep...
We recognise the unprecedented scale of the challenge facing the Government and NHSE/I to keep NHS and care staff safe during the pandemic. As in other countries facing the pandemic there were, however, persistent failures with the procurement and supply … Read more
Government Response
The government is confident that there will be a consistent supply of PPE this winter. Since the initial PPE Plan in April, the UK PPE supply chain has stabilised; there … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
11 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We request an update from the Department of Health & Social Care by the end...
We request an update from the Department of Health & Social Care by the end of November 2020 on what steps are being taken to ensure that there is a consistent and reliable supply of appropriately fitting PPE to all … Read more
Government Response
The government is confident that there will be a consistent supply of PPE this winter. Since the initial PPE Plan in April, the UK PPE supply chain has stabilised; there … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
12 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We are grateful to Professor Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer) and his expert colleagues for...
We are grateful to Professor Chris Whitty (Chief Medical Officer) and his expert colleagues for their continued and constructive engagement with our work. We also recognise that the Government, following the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and others, has … Read more
Government Response
We are grateful to Professor Chris Whitty and his expert colleagues for their continued engagement with the Committee’s work. The Government has taken a considered approach to implementing the SIREN … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
13 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We accept the advice we have received from many eminent scientists that there is a...
We accept the advice we have received from many eminent scientists that there is a significant risk that not testing NHS staff routinely could lead to higher levels of nosocomial infections in any second spike. We therefore urge the Government … Read more
Government Response
The Government recognises the concerns of the Committee and eminent scientists who advise that not testing NHS staff routinely could lead to higher levels of nosocomial infections in any second … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
14 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We note that Professor Chris Whitty has said that the testing of asymptomatic staff may...
We note that Professor Chris Whitty has said that the testing of asymptomatic staff may be necessary in the future and that if there is a “surge in winter” of coronavirus cases then he would be likely to advise that … Read more
Government Response
The Government recognises the concerns of the Committee and eminent scientists who advise that not testing NHS staff routinely could lead to higher levels of nosocomial infections in any second … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
15 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We ask that Professor Whitty sets out to what extent testing capacity has impacted the...
We ask that Professor Whitty sets out to what extent testing capacity has impacted the advice he and his colleagues have provided to the Government on routine testing of NHS staff. We further ask Professor Whitty to clarify whether he … Read more
Government Response
The Government recognises the concerns of the Committee and eminent scientists who advise that not testing NHS staff routinely could lead to higher levels of nosocomial infections in any second … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
16 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We conclude that the case for routine testing of all NHS staff in all parts...
We conclude that the case for routine testing of all NHS staff in all parts of the country (including clinical staff as well as cleaners, porters and so forth) is compelling and should be introduced as quickly as capacity allows … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
17 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recommend that, by the end of October 2020, the Government and NHSE/I set out:...
We recommend that, by the end of October 2020, the Government and NHSE/I set out: i) what current capacity there is for testing all NHS staff, ii) what further capacity (if any) will be required and iii) how long it … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
18 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We are extremely grateful to all NHS and care staff for their hard work and...
We are extremely grateful to all NHS and care staff for their hard work and dedication in trying to meet patient needs in such exceptional circumstances. This includes those who have returned to the NHS (such as clinicians returning from … Read more
Government Response
The NHS People Plan 2020/21 was published in July, with a strong emphasis on ‘Looking after our People’—including 23 commitments related to health and wellbeing—and ‘Belonging in the NHS’ with … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
19 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We are grateful for NHSE/I’s continued support of NHS staff and welcome the further measures...
We are grateful for NHSE/I’s continued support of NHS staff and welcome the further measures set out in the People Plan (July 2020) for the 2020–21 period. In particular, we welcome the important and ambitious measures set out in the … Read more
Government Response
The measures I have outlined above are designed to mitigate the psychological impact of these pressures, however it is also critical that we continue to increase workforce supply and improve … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
20 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recommend that NHSE/I set out in detail what further specific steps it would like...
We recommend that NHSE/I set out in detail what further specific steps it would like to take over the coming years to support the mental and physical wellbeing of all staff and a plan to deal with the specific issue … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
21 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We further recommend that NHSE/I should develop a full and comprehensive definition of “workforce burnout”,...
We further recommend that NHSE/I should develop a full and comprehensive definition of “workforce burnout”, and set out how the wellbeing of all NHS staff is being monitored and assessed. This information should be made available to us by the … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
22 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We note, meanwhile, that there is no equivalent of the NHS People Plan for the...
We note, meanwhile, that there is no equivalent of the NHS People Plan for the social care workforce. We will have more to say about support for those working in social care in our forthcoming report on Social care: workforce … Read more
Government Response
The Government agrees with the Committee’s comments and will address the social care workforce in the upcoming White Paper for Social Care Reform.
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
23 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
The NHS is founded on the principle of equality and is one of the most...
The NHS is founded on the principle of equality and is one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the UK. It hugely benefits from the diversity of its staff as in turn so does the nation. In recent … Read more
Government Response
In response to your request for a comprehensive definition of the racism and discrimination that we are seeking to eradicate from the NHS, our approach is aligned to the respective … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
24 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We have also heard that some BAME NHS staff face discrimination and racism in the...
We have also heard that some BAME NHS staff face discrimination and racism in the NHS and that, across the NHS, the levels of diversity must be improved. We accept Sir Simon Stevens’ comments that “there are systemic features to … Read more
Government Response
In response to your request for a comprehensive definition of the racism and discrimination that we are seeking to eradicate from the NHS, our approach is aligned to the respective … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
25 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
The NHS must increase its efforts to eradicate all forms of discrimination and racism from...
The NHS must increase its efforts to eradicate all forms of discrimination and racism from in its organisation. We therefore recommend that NHSE/I provide a full and comprehensive definition of the “racism and discrimination” that it seeks to eradicate from … Read more
Government Response
In response to your request for a comprehensive definition of the racism and discrimination that we are seeking to eradicate from the NHS, our approach is aligned to the respective … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
26 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
Historically, accident and emergency departments have been over-stretched, over- burdened and running over capacity.
Historically, accident and emergency departments have been over-stretched, over- burdened and running over capacity. We have heard that the initial decline in patient attendances at A&E departments during the pandemic to some extent “cured” the problem of “corridor care”. However, … Read more
Government Response
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that emergency departments do not become overwhelmed by patient demand and remain able to provide high-quality and safe treatment for all patients. NHS … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
27 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We welcome the news that the Government and NHSE/I are piloting a ‘111 dial first’...
We welcome the news that the Government and NHSE/I are piloting a ‘111 dial first’ scheme to support the triaging of patients before they attend A&E departments. The introduction of an expectation that a patient will call first before walking … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
28 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We welcome the support of the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive of NHSE/I...
We welcome the support of the Secretary of State and the Chief Executive of NHSE/I for technological innovation in the NHS. The use of technology and digital alternatives (“telemedicine”), although it has had a mixed response from some patients and … Read more
Government Response
The Government welcomes the Committee’s support for technological innovation in the NHS. The use of technology and digital alternatives (“telemedicine”) has the potential to improve productivity across the healthcare system … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
29 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recommend that NHSE/I and the Department for Health & Social Care set out their...
We recommend that NHSE/I and the Department for Health & Social Care set out their assessment of how effective the use of technology and digital alternatives (“telemedicine”) has been across all health and care services. As part of this assessment, … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
30 Conclusion
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We commend the efforts of the Government, NHSE/I and the independent sector for stepping up...
We commend the efforts of the Government, NHSE/I and the independent sector for stepping up and securing independent sector capacity (i.e. beds, staff and facilities) which has been crucial to supporting the NHS during the pandemic. It is clear that … Read more
Government Response
The Government agrees with the Committee that independent sector capacity will be needed over the coming months as the restoration of core healthcare services is prioritised, particularly over the winter … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
31 Recommendation
Second Report - Delivering core NH…
We recommend, in addition to our recommendations in Chapter 2, that the Government and NHSE/I...
We recommend, in addition to our recommendations in Chapter 2, that the Government and NHSE/I clarify what plans there are to continue to use independent bed capacity and other independent resources as the winter period approaches. We further recommend that … Read more
Department of Health and Social Care
View details
Correspondence 16 letters
16 Dec 2020 To committee Letter from the NHS Chief Executive on core NHS services during the Covid pandemic
Parliament page
15 Dec 2020 To committee Letter from the NHS Chief People Officer on recommendations in the Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond report
Parliament page
30 Nov 2020 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State, Chief Executive of NHS England and Improvment and the NHS Chief People Officer on Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond
Parliament page
24 Nov 2020 To committee Response from Prerana Issar to the Committee's Report on Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond
Parliament page
24 Nov 2020 To committee Letter from Prerana Issar on staff burnout and resilience
Parliament page
24 Nov 2020 To committee Letter from the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the NHS Chief Executive on the Committee's report into Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyond
Parliament page
12 Nov 2020 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the Chief Executive of NHS England and NHS Improvment on the recommendations to the Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic and beyound report
Parliament page
10 Nov 2020 To committee Further letter from Prof Stephen Prowis on Covid-19 testing of NHS staff
Parliament page
5 Nov 2020 Correspondence with Prof Chris Whitty and Prof Stephen Prowis on Covid-19 testing of NHS staff
Parliament page
8 Sep 2020 Correspondence with Sir Simon Stevens on NHS third stage response to Covid-19
Parliament page
2 Sep 2020 To committee Letter from the Secretary of State on the Delivering core NHS and care services during the pandemic inquiry
Parliament page
2 Sep 2020 NHS England and NHS Improvement follow up response to 30 June evidence session
Parliament page
23 Jul 2020 To committee Letter from Chair to Matt Hancock and Sir Simon Stevens on Delivering core NHS services during the pandemic
Parliament page
3 Jun 2020 From committee Letter to Tim Farron from Dame Cally Palmer on radiotherapy
Parliament page
5 May 2020 Correspondence with the National Cancer Director on proton beam therapy
Parliament page
5 May 2020 Correspondence with the Chief Dental Officer on guidance for dental practitioners
Parliament page