Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Eighteenth Report - NHS nursing workforce
Public Accounts Committee
HC 408
Published 23 September 2020
Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Eighteenth report from Session 2019-21 · published 3 Feb 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
2
Recommendation
Not Addressed
The Department could not show that its commitment to 50,000 more nurses by 2025 matches...
Recommendation
The Department could not show that its commitment to 50,000 more nurses by 2025 matches the actual need for nurses in the NHS. It is essential that the NHS understands not just how many nurses it needs, but where and …
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Government Response Summary
The government's response does not address the recommendation to update and publish modelling work on NHS nurse demand, instead discussing funding decisions for the Towns Fund and Levelling Up Fund.
HM Treasury
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4
Recommendation
Not Addressed
The nursing needs of social care remain an unaddressed afterthought for the Department of Health...
Recommendation
The nursing needs of social care remain an unaddressed afterthought for the Department of Health & Social Care. Vacancies for nurses in social care have increased from a rate of 4.1% in 2012–13 to 9.9% in 2018–19, while the number …
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Government Response Summary
The government response is incomplete and does not address the recommendation to set out its understanding of nursing requirements across health and social care and how it supports recruitment and retention in social care.
HM Treasury
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1
Conclusion
Not Addressed
On the basis of a Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
Conclusion
On the basis of a Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department of Health & Social Care (the Department), NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) and Health Education England (HEE) on the NHS nursing workforce.1
Government Response Summary
The government provided a factual overview of the NHS nursing workforce, the roles of various bodies, and the context of the committee's report, without addressing any specific points from this introductory conclusion.
HM Treasury
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9
Conclusion
Not Addressed
The Department acknowledged that the demand for nurses and the extent of nurse shortages vary...
Conclusion
The Department acknowledged that the demand for nurses and the extent of nurse shortages vary between specialisms and regions.14 For example, in the period July– September 2019, NHS trusts in England reported an overall nursing vacancy rate of 12%, but …
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Government Response Summary
The government stated its disagreement with the committee's (non-existent) recommendation, but then reiterated its commitment to delivering 50,000 more nurses overall through the NHS Long Term Plan and People Plan. The response did not specifically address the acknowledged variability of nurse shortages across different specialisms and regions.
HM Treasury
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13
Conclusion
The Interim People Plan envisages a more pivotal role for integrated care systems, which are...
Conclusion
The Interim People Plan envisages a more pivotal role for integrated care systems, which are local partnerships of health and social care bodies that are jointly involved in local workforce planning and strategy. However, the NAO reported that partnerships are …
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HM Treasury
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