Providers call for training funds certainty

In June, NHS England and NHS Improvement published an interim workforce plan. It acknowledged that the final document, which will set out a fully costed plan, will be delayed until after the next spending review. Though NHS frontline spending is in the first year of a five-year settlement, education and training and capital budgets will not be considered until the spending review.

The review was to take place this summer, but with a new prime minister not due to take office until late July and uncertainty over the future relationship with the EU, the government has been reluctant to make spending commitments.

The interim plan said there would be ‘urgent, accelerated action’ to tackle nurse shortages, including 5,000 extra clinical placements for this September’s pre-registration nursing intake. The five-year plan would aim to reduce the reliance on temporary staff by cutting vacancies to 5% by 2028. It would also seek to return funding for continuing professional development to previous levels over five years.

NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson (pictured) said the NHS wanted more complete answers to the workforce problem, but ‘given the spending review timing and a Brexit-focused government, that was never going to be possible.’ But he added: ‘It’s vital these issues are addressed in time for the final plan. That includes the right outcome for NHS education and training budgets in the forthcoming spending review.’