Government progress against commitments made on workforce to be evaluated

The Health and Social Care Committee examines the Government’s progress against its pledges on the health and social care workforce and will be the focus of a new independent evaluation by the Health and Social Care Committee’s Expert Panel.

Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Chair of the Expert Panel, said:

“We’ll be looking at commitments the Government has made on workforce – the people who deliver the health and social care services we rely on.

“We’ve identified a recurrent theme in our evaluations to date – whether in maternity, cancer or mental health services, progress is dependent on having the right number of skilled staff in the right place at the right time. Shortages have a real impact on the delivery of services and undermine achievements.

“Our panel of experts will evaluate progress made to meet policy pledges in this crucial area - whether it’s about getting workforce planning right, training, or ensuring staff well-being.”

The Expert Panel will focus on three areas:

• Planning for the workforce – including how targets are set, recruitment, and retention.
• Building a skilled workforce – including incorporating technology and professional development of staff.
• Wellbeing at work – including support services for staff, and reducing bullying rates.

Four specialists have been appointed for this evaluation, bringing their subject specific expertise and experience. They will work alongside the core members of the Expert Panel in identifying a set of Government commitments on workforce and evaluate progress made against them.

The findings will support the work of the Health and Social Care Committee which is carrying out a separate inquiry: Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in health and social care.

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Source: UK Parliament, 20 April 2022