Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in health and social care

Health and Social Care Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 23 Nov 2021 Closed: 26 Apr 2023 Parliament page
Reasons behind staff leaving the health and social care sectors and how to tackle them will be examined in a new inquiry. Workforce recruitment and training will also be explored. The Committee has heard repeatedly that more staff will be needed to meet future demand and deal with the backlog … Read more
38 Recommendations
35 Conclusions
1 Report
6 Oral sessions
1 Letter
6 Events
Activity timeline 15 events
21 Apr
2023
Report published
6 Sep
2022
Correspondence
25 Jul
2022
Report published
28 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
28 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
7 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
7 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
24 May
2022
Oral evidence
24 May
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
11 May
2022
Oral evidence
11 May
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Macmillan Room, Portcullis House
22 Mar
2022
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions
28 Jun 2022
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Chevonne Baker · Right at Home UK Dr Claire Fuller · Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System Dr Hugh Porter · Nottingham City Integrated Care Partnership Matthew Taylor · Good Work Review Saffron Cordery · NHS Providers Sarah Sweeney · National Voices
7 Jun 2022
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Amanda Pritchard · NHS England Matthew Style · Department of Health and Social Care Michelle Dyson · Department for Education Professor Stephen Powis · NHS England Rt Hon Sajid Javid · Department of Health and Social Care
24 May 2022
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Danny Mortimer · NHS Employers Dr Denise Chaffer · Royal College of Nursing Dr Navina Evans · NHS England Gill Walton · Royal College of Midwives Ian Trenholm · Care Quality Commission (CQC) Professor Em Wilkinson-Brice · NHS England Ravi Sharma · Royal Pharmaceutical Society Shawn Charlwood · British Dental Association (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee Simon Williams · Local Government Association
11 May 2022
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Dr Latifa Patel · British Medical Association (BMA) Isaac Samuels, Health and social care community campaigner and social care recipient Lara Akinnawonu · Cardiff University Professor Colin Melville · General Medical Council Professor Hazel Scott · University of Liverpool Professor Malcolm Reed · Medical Schools Council Professor Roger Kirby · Royal Society of Medicine Professor Scott Wilkes · University of Sunderland Sophie Weaver, Town councillor and social care recipient Trevor Wright, lived experience witness
22 Mar 2022
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Dr Vishal Sharma · Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust Dr Wen Wang · University of Leicester Jacqui McBurnie · NHS England and NHS Improvement Menopause Group Nina Hemmings · Nuffield Trust Prema Fairburn-Dorai · Primary Homecare in Suffolk Professor Carol Atkinson · Manchester Metropolitan University Professor Carol Woodhams · University of Surrey Professor Dame Clare Gerada · NHS Practitioner Health Shilpa Ross · The King's Fund Wayne Jaffe · University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
1 Mar 2022
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Chris Hopson · NHS England Dr Emma Hayward · University of Leicester Gamu Nyasoro · Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Jane Ashcroft CBE · Anchor Hanover Lara Bywater · LDC Care Nicola McQueen · NHS Professionals Oonagh Smyth · Skills for Care Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard · University of Birmingham Rachael Dodgson · Dimensions Sarah McClinton · Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in… HC 115 25 Jul 2022 73 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
Clear
8 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Publish clear plan for recruiting additional midwives and obstetricians for safe maternity staffing.
In July 2021, we recommended that NHS England needed an additional 1,932 midwives and 496 obstetricians to operate at a level that Birthrate Plus considered safe. Rather than adding to their headcount, NHS England has lost 552 midwives between March … Read more
Government Response
The government states that the NHS has faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting staffing levels. They outline steps to improve recruitment and retention of midwives, including increasing training places, launching a recruitment campaign, providing financial support for childcare, investing in technology, and offering flexible working arrangements and wellbeing support.
Department of Health and Social Care
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25 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Reform NHS pension scheme to prevent senior staff early retirement and reduced hours.
It is a national scandal that senior medical staff are being forced to reduce their working contribution to the NHS or to leave it entirely because of NHS pension arrangements. Clearly, the Government’s changes to tax regulations have not gone … Read more
Government Response
The government's response acknowledged the issue by referring to "Our Plan for Patients," which mentions increasing pension flexibilities to retain senior clinicians but provides no specific details or commitments regarding the reform of the NHS pension scheme itself.
Department of Health and Social Care
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26 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Explore methods to replicate temporary suspension of NHS pension regulations post-pandemic.
The temporary suspension of regulations governing the administration of NHS pensions, made under the Coronavirus Act 2020, helped to ameliorate this issue during the pandemic. The Government should consider ways to achieve the same outcome now the pandemic is behind … Read more
Government Response
The government's response acknowledged the issue by referring to "Our Plan for Patients," which includes commitments to increasing pension flexibilities to retain senior clinicians, but provided no specific details or commitment to considering ways to achieve the outcome of suspended pension regulations.
Department of Health and Social Care
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27 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Develop a national NHS 'retire and return' policy replacing ad hoc local schemes.
NHSE should develop a national NHS “retire and return” policy to replace ad hoc local schemes. In the short term, the Government should instruct NHS England to require NHS Trusts to follow pension recycling guidance it has already issued to … Read more
Government Response
The government states its 'Our Plan for Patients' includes commitments to expand the health and care workforce by supporting senior staff retention, increasing pension flexibilities, and using staff to the full extent of their qualifications, but does not specifically address a national 'retire and return' policy or pension recycling guidance.
Department of Health and Social Care
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32 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Increased medical school places demand corresponding growth in resourcing and clinical placements.
Should the Government increase the number of medical school places, they must consider an appropriate increase in the size and resourcing of medical schools, including in their facilities and faculty, as well as increased numbers of clinical placements spread throughout … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the need for robust, long term, workforce planning and have commissioned two pieces of work to support this: the HEE led long term strategic framework (Framework 15) and the NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan, and committed to publishing the Long Term Workforce Plan shortly.
Department of Health and Social Care
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33 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Expand places at 2018 cohort medical schools starting academic year 2023–24.
The 2018 cohort of medical schools are proving a success story in terms of widening participation, and in producing cohorts of local doctors who are more likely to stay local to their training centre once they have graduated. The Government … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the need for robust, long term, workforce planning and have commissioned two pieces of work to support this: the HEE led long term strategic framework (Framework 15) and the NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan, and committed to publishing the Long Term Workforce Plan shortly.
Department of Health and Social Care
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34 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Ensure appropriate funding for all medical schools to train UK students.
If the 2018 cohort are dependent on international recruitment, the benefit of their placement in under-doctored areas is likely to be eroded. The Government must ensure that the 2018 cohort, and all medical schools, are appropriately funded to train UK … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the need for robust, long term, workforce planning and have commissioned two pieces of work to support this: the HEE led long term strategic framework (Framework 15) and the NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan, and committed to publishing the Long Term Workforce Plan shortly.
Department of Health and Social Care
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50 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Reducing bureaucracy and administrative tasks improves frontline workers' mental health and headspace.
In this context, it is important that the Government looks at ways of improving short term efficiency to promote positive mental health and headspace for all frontline workers. It could do this through looking at ways to reduce bureaucracy—perhaps through … Read more
Government Response
The government is keen to explore all avenues to improve frontline efficiency, referring to the NHS Long Term Plan's commitment to technology and the 'What Good Looks Like' framework and 'digital playbooks', as well as the Framework for Action to support NHS staff wellbeing.
Department of Health and Social Care
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51 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Social care pay is crucial, but a comprehensive long-term strategy is also needed.
Witnesses to this inquiry left us in no doubt that pay is a crucial factor in recruitment and retention in social care. Social care providers are consistently being outbid by the retail and hospitality sectors. However, whilst pay increases are … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the importance of pay and a long-term strategy for social care, noting additional funding of up to £2.8 billion in 23-24 and £4.7 billion in 24-25, and an increase in the National Living Wage. It will publish a plan for adult social care system reform that will support the workforce.
Department of Health and Social Care
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57 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Parity of esteem between NHS and social care is crucial for retention improvements.
The work that social carers do is essential to the lives of those who are cared for, and to their families. It is vital that they are treated by the Government and by wider society with the same respect as … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of treating social carers with respect, recognising their commitment, and states its vision for a supported and recognised ASC workforce outlined in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper.
Department of Health and Social Care
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58 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Continuity of care is vital; swift Government action needed to improve social care retention.
The value of continuity of care in social care settings, particularly for people who rely on non-verbal communication, is undeniable. It is essential that the Government acts swiftly to implement the findings of this report to improve retention in the … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the vital importance of continuity of care and is committed to working with local authorities and independent providers to address recruitment and retention challenges, with its strategy outlined in the People at the Heart of Care White Paper.
Department of Health and Social Care
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59 Recommendation Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Restore social care staff free access to NHS training by July 2023.
Better training and career development pathways in social care will be an essential part of driving recruitment and retention in the sector. The Government must commit to restoring social care staff free access to the same NHS training as community … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of training and development for social care staff, outlining existing funding through Skills for Care and the Workforce Development Fund, and committing to work with partners to identify joint training opportunities.
Department of Health and Social Care
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73 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report - Workforce: recruitm…
Require Local Authorities to evaluate modern slavery risk in adult social care supply chains.
Local Authorities must evaluate the risk of modern slavery in their adult social care supply chains and ensure that the risk of modern slavery is assessed as part of the due diligence processes at the commissioning and contracting stage and … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and encourages Local Authorities to evaluate the risk of modern slavery in their adult social care supply chains and during due diligence processes. They also highlighted the ongoing engagement of Labour Market Enforcement bodies with external partners, including LAs.
Department of Health and Social Care
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Government Response AI assessment · 48 of 38 classified
Accepted 6
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 13
Deferred 5
Not Addressed 9
Rejected 11
Total 38 recs + 35 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
6 Sep 2022 Correspondence from the Chief Executive of NHS England on Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in the NHS and Social Care dated 10.08.22
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