Eighteenth Report - NHS nursing workforce
Select Committee
Public Accounts Committee
HC 408
23 September 2020
Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Eighteenth report from Session 2019-21 · published 3 Feb 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
7
Conclusion
Rejected
NHSE&I told us that the advent of COVID-19 meant that workforce planning over a horizon...
Conclusion
NHSE&I told us that the advent of COVID-19 meant that workforce planning over a horizon of three to four years was not currently possible, and at the moment the main focus of the system was on winter planning. It thought …
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Government Response Summary
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.
HM Treasury
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8
Conclusion
Rejected
It is essential that the NHS understands not just how many nurses it needs, but...
Conclusion
It is essential that the NHS understands not just how many nurses it needs, but where and in what specialisms. However, the NAO and other stakeholders have noted that the NHS Long Term Plan contained service commitments that did not …
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Government Response Summary
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.
HM Treasury
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10
Recommendation
Rejected
The Department explained that estimates of the number of nurses the NHS needs and where...
Recommendation
The Department explained that estimates of the number of nurses the NHS needs and where are not determined centrally but are produced locally through a bottom-up approach. NHSE&I said that local areas are currently revising their workforce plans in light …
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Government Response Summary
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.
HM Treasury
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