Thank you for contacting my office. I very much appreciate you getting in touch about workforce planning and the Health and Care Act.
Our NHS relies on effective workforce planning to ensure we can meet the health and care needs of local communities and I applaud the dedication of healthcare professionals across a range of professions.
Clause 41 (previously Clause 35) of the Health and Care Act requires the publication of a workforce report at least every five years - covering the whole of the NHS including primary, secondary and community care. This report will increase transparency and accountability in the workforce planning process. For example, the report would set out the role and responsibilities of new Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) about how they would ensure the delivery of effective local workforce planning.
I recognise that people would like to go further, and the level of support that an amendment made to the legislation during passage through the House of Lords received from Peers, patient groups and professional bodies. However, I disagreed with this amendment because I believe it was not necessary to add further or different reporting duties on workforce planning.
We cannot predict all future workforce needs, which is why the report is required to be published at a minimum of every five years. This flexibility will allow an updated report to be provided earlier than the statutory required period to reflect any changes to roles and responsibilities.
I believe that the measures in the Health and Care Act will help to clarify who is responsible for workforce planning and ensure NHS can provide the workforce needed to meet the health and care needs of the population.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write. If you require any further assistance, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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