Recommendations & Conclusions
18 items
4
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We welcome the additional support provided to health and care staff during the pandemic. However, we conclude that such additional support will need to be maintained during the recovery period and beyond to stop further staff from leaving. Furthermore simply offering support services, however important, is not on its own …
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We welcome the additional support provided to health and care staff during the pandemic. However, we conclude that such additional support will need to be maintained during the recovery period and beyond to stop further staff from leaving. Furthermore simply offering support services, however important, is not on its own enough. The Department and employers need to ensure that those services are accessible to all and used by all who need them. This will require removing barriers to seeking help, and embedding a culture where staff are explicitly given permission and time away from work to seek help when it is needed.
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to providing mental health and wellbeing support for the workforce both now and in the future, stating that Integrated Care Systems are encouraged to enhance and integrate system-wide wellbeing services for all health and care staff.
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Department of Health and Social Care
5
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We recommend that Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) be required to facilitate access to wellbeing support for NHS and social care workers across their systems, and that they are accountable for the accessibility and take-up of those services.
Government response AI summary
The government outlines existing investments and a package of wellbeing support for staff, stating ICSs have been encouraged to integrate and make use of system-wide assets for staff wellbeing. It does not commit to requiring ICSs or making them formally accountable as recommended.
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Department of Health and Social Care
6
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We further recommend that the level of resources allocated to mental health support for health and care staff be maintained as and when the NHS and social care return to ‘business as usual’ after the pandemic; and that the adequacy of resources allocated to that support be monitored on a …
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We further recommend that the level of resources allocated to mental health support for health and care staff be maintained as and when the NHS and social care return to ‘business as usual’ after the pandemic; and that the adequacy of resources allocated to that support be monitored on a regular basis. (Paragraph 40) Workplace culture
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Government response AI summary
The government commits to providing mental health and wellbeing support for the workforce both now and in the future, stating that Integrated Care Systems are encouraged to enhance and integrate system-wide wellbeing services for all health and care staff.
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Department of Health and Social Care
8
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
Improvements to workplace culture have been made, but equally, there is more work to be done. Embedding and facilitating cultures which support compassionate leadership must be at the heart of that work. There is a strong appetite for that leadership from both managers and staff, but structural barriers remain. The …
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Improvements to workplace culture have been made, but equally, there is more work to be done. Embedding and facilitating cultures which support compassionate leadership must be at the heart of that work. There is a strong appetite for that leadership from both managers and staff, but structural barriers remain. The Department, the NHS and individual trusts need to focus on removing those barriers so that their leaders can lead to their full potential. The establishment of statutory Integrated Care Systems provides an opportunity for those systems to lead a transformation of support for NHS leaders in their areas that includes mental health support, development of proper career structures, and a review of targets.
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Government response AI summary
The government recognises the importance of compassionate leadership and describes ongoing work by NHSEI, including the development of ‘Our Leadership Way’ and updates to the NHS Oversight Framework and CQC Well-Led Framework, to embed desired leadership behaviours and measure performance.
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Department of Health and Social Care
9
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We recommend that NHS England undertake a review of the role of targets across the NHS which seeks to balance the operational grip they undoubtedly deliver to senior managers against the risks of inadvertently creating a culture which deprioritises care of both staff and patients.
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We recommend that NHS England undertake a review of the role of targets across the NHS which seeks to balance the operational grip they undoubtedly deliver to senior managers against the risks of inadvertently creating a culture which deprioritises care of both staff and patients.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees on careful consideration of targets and reports that NHS England has already led a clinical review of Urgent and Emergency Care standards within the Long-Term Plan, incorporating workforce retention and wellbeing measures to ensure quality care without compromising staff wellbeing.
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Department of Health and Social Care
10
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We further recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care work with stakeholders to develop staff wellbeing indicators, on which NHS bodies can be judged.
Government response AI summary
The government states that it already uses the annual NHS Staff Survey and a new Wellbeing Dashboard, incorporating various metrics, to monitor and measure staff wellbeing across NHS trusts, addressing the recommendation through existing mechanisms.
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Department of Health and Social Care
11
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
The Committee welcomes the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), along with the People Plan, as an important step towards an NHS which offers equal opportunities to all its staff. We were pleased to hear in our oral evidence session that work had begun to provide similar information to the WRES …
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The Committee welcomes the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES), along with the People Plan, as an important step towards an NHS which offers equal opportunities to all its staff. We were pleased to hear in our oral evidence session that work had begun to provide similar information to the WRES in social care. This year’s WRES report concludes that ‘now is the time to translate the data to actions.’ We agree. Part of this must be to ensure that the boards of the new ICSs appropriately represent the populations they serve.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees to include Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) data in ICS indicators and targets for model employer goals. They detail ongoing support for action plans and a long-term strategy for WRES implementation, including its phase 1 implementation …
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Department of Health and Social Care
12
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We therefore recommend that WRES data be made part of the ‘balanced basket of indicators’ we suggest for Integrated Care Systems, with the result that they become accountable for progress across their domains. As part of this process, organisations should set themselves ambitious yet achievable targets that include timings.
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We therefore recommend that WRES data be made part of the ‘balanced basket of indicators’ we suggest for Integrated Care Systems, with the result that they become accountable for progress across their domains. As part of this process, organisations should set themselves ambitious yet achievable targets that include timings.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees to include WRES and WDES data in the 'balanced basket of indicators' for Integrated Care Systems, and states that organisational targets should align with ICS Model Employer goals. They are providing bespoke WRES metrics and supporting ICSs in developing action plans, with …
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Department of Health and Social Care
15
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
Staff from overseas play a key role in enabling the NHS and social care to function. Whatever role overseas staff will play in the long-term, they are essential to the health and social care system in the short-term and medium-long term because any 56 Workforce burnout and resilience in the …
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Staff from overseas play a key role in enabling the NHS and social care to function. Whatever role overseas staff will play in the long-term, they are essential to the health and social care system in the short-term and medium-long term because any 56 Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care move to shift to more domestic supply is likely to take time. Workforce planning, in both the NHS and social care therefore will need to include strategies for the recruitment, transition, and training of overseas workers in the health and care sector.
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Government response AI summary
The government highlights its existing international recruitment strategies, including the 50k nurse programme and expansion of the Health and Care Visa. It states it will consider the value of a recommended framework as part of the next stage of the People Plan and awaits findings …
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Department of Health and Social Care
17
Conclusion
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
Covid-19 has exacerbated existing problems with staff welfare, but also brought some benefits, including higher levels of recognition and different ways of working. While enhanced recognition of the work of health and care staff is welcome, adequate and holistic support for their mental health and wellbeing is of primary importance. …
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Covid-19 has exacerbated existing problems with staff welfare, but also brought some benefits, including higher levels of recognition and different ways of working. While enhanced recognition of the work of health and care staff is welcome, adequate and holistic support for their mental health and wellbeing is of primary importance. That support was not just needed during the waves of covid-19: it will be needed through the recovery as the health and care sector returns to ‘business as usual’.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the ongoing need for mental health and wellbeing support post-pandemic and outlines existing provisions, including national emotional and psychological resources, £60 million for local adult social care, HEE's learner surveys, the MindEd Hub, and continued implementation of the 2019 Mental Wellbeing Commission …
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Department of Health and Social Care
18
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We recommend that national bodies must continue to monitor the impact of covid-19 on the NHS and adult social care workforce and ensure that workforce planning builds in time for recovery after the pandemic is over.
Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of monitoring COVID-19's impact and commits to continued monitoring, describing ongoing support packages, wellbeing initiatives, and past funding for workforce wellbeing, without committing to specific new future actions for workforce planning for recovery.
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Department of Health and Social Care
19
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care, the national bodies, and individual organisations across the NHS and social care commit to capturing and disseminating the innovations—in particular giving greater levels of autonomy to staff and new forms of integrated working—during the pandemic so that they can be …
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We recommend that the Department of Health and Social Care, the national bodies, and individual organisations across the NHS and social care commit to capturing and disseminating the innovations—in particular giving greater levels of autonomy to staff and new forms of integrated working—during the pandemic so that they can be embedded in organisations as they return to ‘business as usual’.
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the need to systematically adopt successful new ways of working and commits to providing national support for systems to embed innovative approaches and local solutions, referencing relevant White Papers and policies like the NHS People Plan that promote flexible working.
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Department of Health and Social Care
26
Conclusion
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We have made recommendations to the Department on the reform and funding of social care in previous Reports. We believe that they are worth restating. Those recommendations are as follow:
Government response AI summary
The government has published the "People at the Heart of Care: Adult Social Care Reform" White Paper, outlining a ten-year vision for social care with significant investments including £300m for housing, £150m for technology, and £500m for workforce training, wellbeing, and occupational health.
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Department of Health and Social Care
27
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
(a) Alongside […] a long term funding settlement we strongly believe the Government should publish a 10 year plan for the social care sector as it has done for the NHS. The two systems are increasingly linked and it makes no sense to put in place long term plans for …
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(a) Alongside […] a long term funding settlement we strongly believe the Government should publish a 10 year plan for the social care sector as it has done for the NHS. The two systems are increasingly linked and it makes no sense to put in place long term plans for one without the other. Failure to do so is also likely to inhibit reform and lead to higher costs as workforce shortages become more pronounced with higher dependency on agency staff. Reducing the 30% turnover rates typical in the sector will also require a long term, strategic approach to social care pay and conditions. (Social care: funding and workforce, Third Report of Session 2019–21, Paragraph 37).
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Government response AI summary
The government has published the "People at the Heart of Care: Adult Social Care Reform" White Paper, which includes a ten-year reform vision for social care, backed by significant investments in housing, technology, and the workforce, directly addressing the recommendation for a long-term plan.
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Department of Health and Social Care
28
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
(b) The social care sector needs reassurance that both the structural and financial problems it faces will be tackled by the Government in a timely way. For that reason, we recommend that a duty is included in the Bill for the Secretary of State to publish a 10-year plan with …
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(b) The social care sector needs reassurance that both the structural and financial problems it faces will be tackled by the Government in a timely way. For that reason, we recommend that a duty is included in the Bill for the Secretary of State to publish a 10-year plan with detailed costings within six months of the Bill receiving Royal Assent. (The Government’s White Paper proposals for the reform of Health and Social Care, First Report of Session 2021–22, paragraph 65). (Paragraph 167) Conclusion: Bringing together the post-pandemic response with better workforce planning
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Government response AI summary
The government confirms its ten-year reform vision for adult social care in the 'People at the Heart of Care' White Paper, detailing substantial investments including £300 million in housing, £150 million for technology, and £500 million for the workforce, addressing the call for a 10-year …
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Department of Health and Social Care
29
Conclusion
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
The emergency that workforce burnout has become will not be solved without a total overhaul of the way the NHS does workforce planning. After the pandemic, which revealed so many critical staff shortages, the least we can do for staff is to show there is a long term solution to …
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The emergency that workforce burnout has become will not be solved without a total overhaul of the way the NHS does workforce planning. After the pandemic, which revealed so many critical staff shortages, the least we can do for staff is to show there is a long term solution to those shortages, ultimately the biggest driver of burnout. We may not be able to solve the issues around burnout overnight but we can at least give staff confidence that a long term solution is in place.
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Government response AI summary
The government details a new duty in the Health and Care Bill requiring the Secretary of State to publish a workforce planning report every five years, led by HEE, to provide transparency and accountability regarding long-term staffing solutions.
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Department of Health and Social Care
30
Conclusion
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
The way that the NHS does workforce planning is at best opaque and at worst responsible for the unacceptable pressure on the current workforce which existed even before the pandemic. (Paragraph 183) 58 Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care
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The way that the NHS does workforce planning is at best opaque and at worst responsible for the unacceptable pressure on the current workforce which existed even before the pandemic. (Paragraph 183) 58 Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges concerns about opaque workforce planning by outlining a new duty in the Health and Care Bill for the Secretary of State to publish comprehensive workforce planning and supply reports every five years, led by HEE, to enhance transparency and accountability.
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Department of Health and Social Care
33
Recommendation
Second Report - Workforce burnout and r…
Accepted
We further recommend that those projections: • Are informed by the future shape of services and anticipated demand. • Take into account the labour market as a whole. • Make clear the opportunity cost of not training, employing and retaining sufficient numbers of staff. (Paragraph 186) Workforce burnout and resilience …
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We further recommend that those projections: • Are informed by the future shape of services and anticipated demand. • Take into account the labour market as a whole. • Make clear the opportunity cost of not training, employing and retaining sufficient numbers of staff. (Paragraph 186) Workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care 59
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Government response AI summary
The government refers to a new duty in the Health and Care Bill requiring a workforce planning report every five years and states that Health Education England (HEE) will lead work, consulting widely, to understand future drivers of supply and demand for both health and …
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Department of Health and Social Care