Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department plans to improve the working conditions of the NHS workforce in order to help increase the retention rate of clinical positions.

The National Health Service People Plan and People Promise focuses on actions for organisations to build a more modern, compassionate and inclusive culture to improve the retention of NHS staff. This includes a much stronger focus on staff health and wellbeing, more support for flexible working and a renewed commitment to tackling inequality. Additionally, the NHS Retention Programme is seeking to understand why staff leave, resulting in targeted interventions to support staff to stay whilst keeping them well. This includes enhanced early career support for new graduates, mentoring schemes to support experienced staff to continue their careers, better information and advice on pensions and guidance on supporting staff through the menopause.

The long term workforce plan will build on the work of the People Plan so that we can ensure the NHS has the robust and resilient workforce it needs for the future. We have committed to publishing the long term workforce plan this year.