Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the additional 10,000 primary and community health and care professionals which his Department plans to make available by 2020 will be (a) existing NHS staff and (b) new starters.
Answered by Dan Poulter
Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future balancing need against demand, taking into account factors such as the age profile of the existing workforce, the impact of technology, and new drugs, and is committed to a substantial increase in training posts to deliver new primary and community health professionals by 2020. In addition, Health Education England and NHS England are bringing forward actions to improve retention and return to practice rates within the current general practitioner, nurse and Allied Health Professional workforce. It is too early to say what proportion of additional professionals will be existing National Health Service staff or new starters.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to set national recruitment targets for NHS community and district nurses.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The Department set up Health Education England (HEE) to deliver a better health and healthcare workforce for England. HEE is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future balancing need against demand, taking into account factors such as the age profile of the existing workforce, the impact of technology, and new drugs.
In December 2013, HEE published its first annual workforce plan for England, covering the period 2014-15. This plan was determined through an assessment of future need by local National Health Service employers, and Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs) and used as the basis of an investment plan for England, which included community and district nursing requirements, alongside other professions.
Working in concert with NHS healthcare providers, HEE is leading a programme of work to encourage nurses to return to practice. This work includes ensuring that the education programmes being commissioned are effective and meet the needs of patients and the NHS. All programmes are validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which clinical commissioning groups have awarded contracts to provide community services to non-NHS providers or consortia that include non-NHS providers; and what the estimated or confirmed lifetime value of each of those contracts is.
Answered by Jane Ellison
The Department does not hold information on which clinical commissioning groups have contracts with National Health Service or non-NHS providers.
Asked by: Teresa Pearce (Labour - Erith and Thamesmead)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve recruitment and retention in NHS community and district nursing.
Answered by Dan Poulter
The Department set up Health Education England (HEE) to deliver a better health and healthcare workforce for England. HEE is responsible for ensuring a secure workforce supply for the future balancing need against demand, taking into account factors such as the age profile of the existing workforce, the impact of technology, and new drugs.
In December 2013, HEE published its first annual workforce plan for England, covering the period 2014-15. This plan was determined through an assessment of future need by local National Health Service employers, and Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs) and used as the basis of an investment plan for England, which included community and district nursing requirements, alongside other professions.
Working in concert with NHS healthcare providers, HEE is leading a programme of work to encourage nurses to return to practice. This work includes ensuring that the education programmes being commissioned are effective and meet the needs of patients and the NHS. All programmes are validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.