HEE response to Health Foundation report on workforce planning

Rob Smith, Director of Workforce Planning and Intelligence, Health Education England said:

Health Education England acknowledges the important issues flagged in this report and remains focused on supporting the NHS to get the workforce it needs both now and in the future through priorities such as:

• Increased adult nurse commissions by 15% over the four years we were responsible for those nurses, who will have only graduated this year.
• Secured 3,596 nurses on return to practice programmes
• Creating the new nursing associate role which already has 2000 people training and providing care to patients.
• Recruited the largest number of GP trainees ever.
• For the first time in history the training places for Accident and Emergency junior doctors on run through programmes are fully filled and we are increasing places year on year.

Of course challenges remain and we are working with NHS partners to reduce turnover and improve retention in the existing workforce.