Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 8
8
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 have a complete assessment of the type and number of nurses needed to deliver the plan. For example, for cancer service commitments, there were no separate estimates of the overall cancer nursing capacity required, but an assumption that cancer needs would be met from the overall increase anticipated for the nursing workforce.12 In December 2019, while the People Plan was still in development, the government made a pledge to deliver 50,000 more nurses by 2025. However, the NAO’s report found that, in March 2020, NHSE&I and HEE were still developing their model to understand and quantify the demand for nurses.13
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 3 February 2021. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗