Recommendation 3

We are not convinced that the Department has plans for how the NHS will secure 50,000 more nurses by 2025. The Department plans to meet the 50,000 commitment by increasing the domestic supply of registered nurses, recruiting from overseas and improving retention rates. However, it could not tell us how many nurses each of these supply routes are expected to provide, as local areas are reviewing their plans in light of COVID-19. The NHS is relying on a substantial short-term increase in overseas recruitment for nurses, but the COVID-19 outbreak illustrates that this is a risky strategy as international recruitment has been delayed as a result of travel restrictions. NHSE&I acknowledges that pay remains an important issue for NHS nursing, which has impacted on retention in the past; in international recruitment, other countries often have more leeway to pay nurses more than in the 6 NHS nursing workforce UK. Apprenticeships and nursing associate roles are potentially a more accessible, if longer, route to becoming a registered nurse, but providers are finding it challenging to deliver apprenticeships at scale. Recommendation: As part of the published people plan, the Department, NHSE&I and HEE should include a set of costed and detailed action plans for each of the different supply routes for nursing, and how many nurses each route is expected to contribute to the overall nursing workforce. They should consider what national actions, for example on pay, they may need to take to increase recruitment and retention.