Seventy-Third Report - Access to urgent and emergency care
Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee
HC 1336
25 October 2023
Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Seventy-third report from Session 2022-23 · published 14 Feb 2024
Recommendations & Conclusions
5 results
8
Conclusion
Acknowledged
NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan assumes optimistic and unproven labour productivity increases.
Conclusion
A key element of NHS England’s plans for the NHS over the coming years is the NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023.16 Despite the decline in productivity in recent years, NHS England’s projections for future staff requirements …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees (with what appears to be a conclusion) and states that improving productivity, including reducing staff absences and improving processes, is a key component of existing recovery plans. NHS England will provide further details on factors impacting productivity and future plans in a letter to the Committee.
HM Treasury
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23
Conclusion
Acknowledged
NHS England finally published its long-term workforce plan in June 2023, addressing previous failures.
Conclusion
We have been raising concerns about the lack of long-term planning for the NHS workforce since well before the COVID-19 pandemic, noting in February 2023 that the Department had repeatedly failed to make good on its commitments to publish a …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's findings regarding workforce planning, confirming that NHS England's Long Term Workforce Plan, including a revised retention programme, is in motion to address challenges and reduce staff attrition rates by 2037.
HM Treasury
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24
Conclusion
Acknowledged
NHS Long Term Workforce Plan addresses projected shortfall of up to 360,000 staff.
Conclusion
In the workforce plan, NHS England estimates that over a 15-year period, without action, there would be a shortfall of 260,000 to 360,000 staff by 2036–37. NHS England explained that, because it takes time to train people and that they …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's findings, noting NHS England has revised its retention programme and the Exemplar programme shows improved leaver rates, with the Long Term Workforce Plan aiming to significantly reduce overall staff attrition by 2037.
HM Treasury
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25
Conclusion
Acknowledged
NHS retention programme piloting flexibility and career development measures shows promising results.
Conclusion
NHS England added that, in terms of the specific offers that it would be making, the two most significant elements were measures focused on flexibility and continuous career development.67 It informed us that much of the retention aspects of the …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's findings, stating NHS England has revised its retention programme and the Exemplar programme shows improved leaver rates, with the Long Term Workforce Plan aiming to significantly reduce overall staff attrition by 2037.
HM Treasury
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26
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Elevated NHS staff absence rates persist post-pandemic, driven by musculoskeletal, respiratory, and mental health issues.
Conclusion
We asked about the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, since absence rates in the NHS workforce have remained higher since the start of the pandemic than the 61 Committee of Public Accounts, Sustainability and transformation in the NHS, Twenty-Ninth …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observations, noting the NHS is making progress in recovering lost productivity and reducing staff absences, with the Long Term Workforce Plan improving processes, and NHS England will provide further details on productivity factors and plans to the committee.
HM Treasury
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