Eighteenth Report - NHS nursing workforce

The government's response does not address the recommendation to update and publish modelling work on NHS nurse demand, instead discussing funding decisions for the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund.

The government accepted the recommendation, agreeing to publish detailed, costed action plans for each nursing supply route and their expected contributions to the 50,000 nurse target as part of the People Plan by Autumn 2021. They noted a three-year pay deal and continued reliance on the independent NHS Pay Review Body.

The government response is incomplete and does not address the recommendation to set out its understanding of nursing requirements across health and social care and how it supports recruitment and retention in social care.

The government agrees with the recommendation, confirming that the Department, NHSE&I, and HEE wrote to the Committee on 11 November 2020 as requested and will share further UCAS data when it becomes available in January 2021.

The government agrees with the recommendations, committing to continue assessing COVID-19 challenges on nursing recruitment and retention, and detailing existing comprehensive health and wellbeing support for staff, including developing mental health wellbeing hubs in seven regions.

The government provided a factual overview of the NHS nursing workforce, the roles of various bodies, and the context of the committee's report, without addressing any specific points from this introductory conclusion.

The government disagreed with the committee's implication that long-term workforce planning was not possible, reiterating its commitment to delivering 50,000 more nurses. However, it acknowledged that updated modelling timelines remain uncertain due to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak.

The government explicitly rejects the implied recommendation for a complete assessment, stating it cannot commit to when updated modelling will be complete or publishable due to ongoing changes from the COVID-19 outbreak.

The government stated its disagreement with the committee's (non-existent) recommendation, but then reiterated its commitment to delivering 50,000 more nurses overall through the NHS Long Term Plan and People Plan. The response did not specifically address the acknowledged variability of nurse shortages across different specialisms and regions.

The government rejects the recommendation to publish its overall estimate of nurse numbers, stating it cannot commit to a publication timeline due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on modelling, while highlighting its commitment to 50,000 more nurses.

The government agrees with the Committee's observation but disputes the characterization of social care nursing as an 'unaddressed afterthought,' outlining significant funding to Skills for Care, commitment to increasing Nursing Associates, and the appointment of a Chief Nurse for Social Care.

The government accepts the recommendation for better integration of health and social care workforce planning, citing £26.3 million funding for Skills for Care, support for Nursing Associate Apprenticeships, and the appointment of a Chief Nurse for Social Care by Spring 2021.

The government accepts the recommendation to improve integration and support for the social care nursing workforce, detailing £26.3 million funding for Skills for Care, promotion of apprenticeships, and the appointment of a Chief Nurse for Social Care by Spring 2021.

The government accepts the implied recommendation to deliver on its 50,000 more nurses commitment, outlining its robust delivery programme encompassing various recruitment and retention strategies and promising to publish plans by Autumn 2021.

The government accepts the recommendation to quantify the numbers of nurses expected from different supply routes for the 50,000 target, stating it has adapted its programme and will publish detailed plans as soon as practicable by Autumn 2021.

The government accepts the implied recommendation regarding international nurse recruitment, confirming it is part of the 50,000 more nurses target and that detailed plans will be published as soon as practicable by Autumn 2021.

The government accepts the implied recommendation on nursing pay by referring to a 2018 three-year pay deal that increased starting salaries and stating it will rely on the independent NHS Pay Review Body for future pay considerations.

The government stated its agreement with the committee's (non-existent) recommendation and reiterated that apprenticeships and nursing associate conversions are key components of its robust, costed programme to deliver 50,000 more nurses. The response did not explicitly address the committee's observations about the challenges in scaling these routes or targets being off-track.

The government accepts the implied recommendation to focus on staff retention, confirming it is a key part of the 50,000 nurse delivery programme and that detailed plans will be published as soon as practicable by Autumn 2021.

The government states the underlying recommendation has been implemented, confirming that the department, NHSE&I, and HEE wrote to the Committee on 11 November 2020 and will share further UCAS acceptance data when it becomes available in January 2021.

The government accepts the recommendation to address disparities in nursing student intake, stating it has already implemented the recommendation and provided an outline to the Committee, with further UCAS data to be shared in January 2021.

The government states the underlying recommendation has been implemented, confirming that the department, NHSE&I, and HEE wrote to the Committee on 11 November 2020 and will share further UCAS acceptance data when it becomes available in January 2021.

The government states the underlying recommendation has been implemented, confirming that the department, NHSE&I, and HEE wrote to the Committee on 11 November 2020 and will share further UCAS acceptance data when it becomes available in January 2021.

The government accepts the implied recommendation to address staff stress and burnout, detailing an existing health and wellbeing support package and committing to review and refine this offer, including developing mental health wellbeing hubs in seven regions by Spring 2021.

The government agrees with the observation, outlining its ongoing comprehensive health and wellbeing support for staff, including a commitment to review and refine national offerings and develop mental health wellbeing hubs in seven regions.

The government agrees with the observation, outlining its ongoing assessment of COVID-19's impact on nurse recruitment and retention, and its existing health and wellbeing support for staff, including the development of mental health hubs, but does not specifically detail actions for retaining returners or addressing lost student placement hours.

The government acknowledged the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on BAME staff and stated that work is already underway to assess these challenges as part of the 50,000 nursing target and the People Plan. It also described the comprehensive health and wellbeing support package offered to all NHS staff.