Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of the relative cost of housing compared with wages in (a) Oxford and (b) Oxfordshire on the ability of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to recruit nursing staff.

The recruitment of nursing and other staff to deliver safe patient care is the responsibility of employers across the National Health Service. The average pay for full time nurses is £31,278 per annum, well above national average full time earnings of about £27,000 per year.

In addition, from completion of training nurses can expect eight incremental pay rises worth £936 (3.8%) on average each year on top of annual pay awards plus benefits including an excellent pension. However, we are not complacent and acknowledge the challenges staff have in securing suitable accommodation in some parts of the country. That is why the Government wants to support key workers such as nurses by making homes more affordable with steps outlined in the Housing white paper to increase supply.

Currently the Government funds a range of home ownership schemes including Help to Buy Equity Loans and Shared Ownership to support key workers to buy a home where they are unable to afford market prices locally. In addition, the Department has been engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to understand better the housing need for NHS staff. The need for affordable homes for NHS staff differs across the country, and we are working with the NHS, local authorities, housing associations and other partners to explore opportunities for supporting local solutions, including the option for NHS organisations to use their surplus land to provide staff housing.