Health and Care Bill - Workforce Amendment

During the Parliamentary debates on the Health and Care Bill (now Act), Darren received a high volume of email enquiries regarding the need for a workforce strategy for those employed in both the NHS and in social care.

In Parliament, Darren supported the amendments put forward the Opposition at every stage in the hope of convincing the Government to think again. Despite the Opposition parties attempting to amend the Bill, the Government refused to provide support and voted the amendments down. Unfortunately, the Government has a large Commons majority and there was no way to force the issue further.

The Health and Care Bill was signed into law on the 28th April 2022.

You can view Darren’s response provided to constituents as follows:

Dear Consituent,

Thank you for contacting me about the Health and Care Bill (now Act) and the NHS and care workforce. I hope that this email finds you well.

This legislation provided an opportunity to address high rates of vacancy, inadequate levels of retention and workforce terms and conditions. Yet the Government failed to bring forward a long-term strategy.

At every stage of the Bill, I supported amendments to require Ministers to publish a full and transparent assessment of current and future workforce requirements in health and social care.

Indeed, the Opposition went further, tabling its own amendment to require the Health Secretary to lay before Parliament a fully funded health and care workforce strategy to ensure that the numbers, skill and mix of healthcare staff are sufficient for the safe and effective delivery of services. It built on similar amendments but sought further assurances by putting patient safety and safe staffing levels at the heart of workforce planning.

Disappointingly, the Government rejected and voted against these amendments repeatedly.

Despite the remarkable efforts of NHS and care staff, I remain concerned that a decade of poor planning and short-term thinking by the Government has resulted in workforce gaps that are endemic; there is a shortage of over 100,000 staff across the NHS as well as 105,000 vacancies in social care.

A 2021 cross-party report found workforce burnout across the NHS and social care has reached an “emergency level” and poses a risk to the future functioning of services. The NHS Confederation warns that without the much needed investment in the workforce NHS trusts across England will be unable to recover lost capacity, address growing backlogs or bring down record waiting lists.

Health and care services must have the workforce they need to deliver safe high-quality services now and in the future. These amendments were an opportunity for Ministers to ensure a strategic, long-term approach to health and care workforce planning. I am disappointed they rejected them.

Please do let me know if you require any further support.

Yours sincerely,

Darren

Darren Jones MP
Member of Parliament for Bristol North West