Recommendation 13

This Committee’s September 2020 report, NHS nursing workforce, concluded that there was a risk that the NHS was focusing on short-term pressures at the expense of the 23 C&AG’s Report, page 30 24 Qq 69, 75 25 NHS0043 NHS Providers submission para 3a 26 NHS0022 British Medical Association submission para 3.7 27 Q103 28 NHS0010 University of Manchester submission para 3a 29 Q74 30 Q102 12 NHS backlogs and waiting times in England necessary long-term strategy when it came to staffing.31 Similar risks exist in the current situation. In written evidence, the King’s Fund told us that any plan to reduce waiting times needed to build explicitly from an analysis of existing staff and the potential for workforce growth alongside a realistic assessment of any scope for productivity improvements.32 31 Committee of Public Accounts, NHS nursing workforce, 18th Report of Session 2019–21, HC 408, 23 September 2020 32 NHS0007 King’s Fund submission page 4 NHS backlogs and waiting times in England 13 2 Meeting the needs of patients and the workforce