Ninth report - Clearing the backlog caused by the pandemic

Select Committee
Health and Social Care Committee HC 599 6 January 2022
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 34 items (24 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 34 of 34 classified)
Accepted 19
Accepted in Part 5
Acknowledged 5
Deferred 4
Not Addressed 1
Government response
Government Response to the Health and Social Care Committee Report on Clearing the backlog caused by the pandemic · published 25 May 2022
Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker
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Recommendations & Conclusions

5 results
4 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Para 45
We further recommend that NHS England looks beyond primary care in its assessment of the...
Recommendation
We further recommend that NHS England looks beyond primary care in its assessment of the use of digital tools and considers the impact of an increased usage of such tools not only on patients, but also on other parts of … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government states NHS England has concluded an evaluation of digital tools in primary care and will publish guidance on best practice, including reducing bureaucracy at the primary/secondary care interface and the use of remote consultations, partially addressing the recommendation to look beyond primary care.
Department of Health and Social Care
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14 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Para 80
As part of its national health and care recovery plan, we recommend that the Government...
Recommendation
As part of its national health and care recovery plan, we recommend that the Government sets out the contribution that public health services will make, and ensures that this contribution is backed with a level of funding that acknowledges their … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the vital role of public health services and states that funding levels have been increased by £340 million in 2022/23 to £3.47 billion, but does not explicitly commit to setting out their contribution within a national recovery plan.
Department of Health and Social Care
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16 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Para 93
We repeat our recommendation that HEE must be required (whether in its own right or...
Recommendation
We repeat our recommendation that HEE must be required (whether in its own right or as part of NHS England) to publish objective, transparent and independently-audited annual reports on workforce projections that cover the next five, ten and twenty years, … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepted in principle, stating it already publishes independently verified workforce assessments at least every two years (not annually as recommended), covering health, social care, and public health. It also affirmed that DHSC works with NHS England to incorporate workforce planning into all NHS plans and give attention to social care.
Department of Health and Social Care
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17 Recommendation Accepted in Part
We recommend that the Government undertake an urgent review of short-term recruitment and retention issues...
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government undertake an urgent review of short-term recruitment and retention issues within the health and care workforce, including productivity improvements, sharing of best practice through data, removal of professional demarcation, use of technology, additional training places … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government accepted in principle the need to address recruitment and retention issues, stating NHS England will publish a refreshed People Plan for 2022/23 as soon as practicable to address these, including productivity improvements, technology use, and training.
Department of Health and Social Care
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28 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Para 114
To encourage better integration and mutual understanding across health and social care, we again recommend...
Recommendation
To encourage better integration and mutual understanding across health and social care, we again recommend that a duty is placed on ICSs so that where a decision by an ICS affects carers and the social care sector, the ICS must … Read more
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on integration's importance, noting the Health and Care Act 2022 places a duty on ICBs to promote integration and that statutory guidance will clarify expectations for wide engagement, including with carers, without committing to a specific formal consultation duty.
Department of Health and Social Care
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