Recommendation 28

We pressed both the Department and NHS England on how the workforce plan would be paid for.80 NHS England stated that the current government’s commitment has been to fully fund the first five years of the plan.81 In future periods, there would be decisions for the then government to take about the total size of the NHS budget which would need to take account of the consequences for the plan, but these would be decisions for forthcoming spending reviews.82 The Department confirmed that NHS budgets beyond the current spending review were political decisions for the future and that the plan, although extending beyond the current funding period, makes no reference to the cost after the first five years.83