Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to consult (a) the third sector and (b) patient groups in the development of the (a) workforce implementation plan and (b) implementation framework for the NHS Long-Term Plan.

The National Implementation Framework, to be published in the spring, will support local areas as they develop their implementation plans. Local implementation plans will provide staff, patients, the public and other stakeholders with the opportunity to help local organisations determine how to achieve the service and outcomes improvements set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

NHS England is asking local health systems to start this engagement soon and expect local politicians to have an opportunity to be involved in this, as well as other local stakeholders, local partners, communities, service users and patients.

Nationally, the National Health Service is working with Healthwatch England and the Voluntary and Community Sector Health and Wellbeing Alliance to provide additional support to local systems in their engagement with local communities.

The Chair of NHS Improvement, Baroness Harding, has been asked by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State to take forward the development of a workforce implementation plan, as part of the overall implementation plan for the Long Term Plan. This programme of work will engage with staff, employers, professional organisations, trade unions and think tanks to build a shared vision and a plan of action that puts NHS people at the heart of NHS policy and delivery.