Recommendation 24

In 2023 the previous Committee reported that the programme had struggled to recruit staff and had relied too heavily on external consultants.51 As of November 2025, the programme had a vacancy rate of 39%, resolution of which was being hampered by a recruitment freeze following the Department’s plans to abolish NHS England.52 These capability gaps could slow delivery, cause over-reliance on external contractors and delay later waves.53 We also received written evidence from NHS Providers raising concerns about the effectiveness of the central NHP programme team. Although trusts acknowledged that communication and engagement from the central team had improved during 2025, they considered that interactions on critical issues were still inconsistent and more streamlined governance arrangements were needed.54