Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 29
29
Rejected
Initial £2.4 billion funds first five years of training; future expansion needs more
Conclusion
The Department and NHS England told us that government had made a firm commitment of £2.4 billion of new money to fully fund the first five years of additional training places set out in the plan, until 2028.84 A planned expansion of medical school places up to 15,000 would be for the remaining 10 years, subject to additional funding. This money will also need to be phased, because it requires new medical schools and the 72 Q 114; C&AG’s Report, para 1.14 73 Q 116 74 Qq 114, 117 75 Q 118 76 Letter to the Committee dated 19 July 2023 from Sarah-Jane Marsh at NHS England 77 Q 66 78 Qq 60–61 79 Qq 61–62 80 Q 18 81 Q 7 82 Qq 13, 15 83 Qq 14, 16, 21 84 Qq 4, 13, 20 16 Access to urgent and emergency care expansion of school places in existing schools.85
Government Response Summary
The government explicitly disagrees with the committee's finding/implied recommendation, reaffirming its £2.4 billion commitment to fund the first five years of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and stating that estimates for subsequent years will be submitted as part of the next Spending Review.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.2 In support of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the government has committed £2.4 billion to fund education and training costs up to 2028-29. NHS England will submit its estimate to the government of the full cost of the NHS from 2025-26 onwards, which will include the financial implications of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, as part of the next Spending Review process. The outcome of the Spending Review process and what that expenditure covers will be published by HM Treasury in the usual manner.