Government “missed opportunity” to tackle NHS and social care staff shortages

An important opportunity to alleviate the workforce crisis in the NHS and social care has been missed by the government.

That was the verdict of chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, Jeremy Hunt, this week, following the government’s response to the committee’s recommendations last June.

He said it was “disappointing” that the government had “yet again” rejected the call for independent and transparent workforce planning with clear projections of the number of doctors and nurses required to meet future demand.

Last year’s inquiry by MPs1 found staff shortages were the biggest driver of burnout among NHS and social care staff in England. It identified excessive workload as the key predictor of staff stress, workers’ intentions to quit, and patient dissatisfaction. …