Public accounts committee's focus on workforce planning welcome

26 July 2021

Responding to the new public accounts committee's (PAC) Initial lessons from the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic report, the deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"Trust leaders will welcome the report's recommendation that the government do more to support the health and social care workforce, who have faced relentless pressure during the pandemic, in order to ensure their continuing resilience.

"We agree with PAC's recommendation for a 'substantive long-term NHS workforce plan to ensure the resilience of the health and social care workforce', and have been calling for a fully costed and funded multi-year workforce plan for some time. We need enough staff not only to plug existing workforce gaps, but to build flexibility into the system. We believe this is the best way to ensure staff wellbeing in the long term.

"PAC's recommendations also highlight that clear communication around PPE usage, stock levels, and quality control is crucial. There has been good engagement on the upcoming PPE strategy, which is encouraging, but it is vital that this continues.

"COVID-19 has been a constant learning process, and this report will help contribute to our knowledge and understanding of health and social care workforce issues, as we look ahead to the independent public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic."