Expanding staff numbers for the future of care

Health and social care needs are changing. Report after report suggests that integration of health and social care are the fundamental solution to the many pressures and challenges faced by patients, hospitals and community care on a continual basis. In this article, CSJ technical editor Kate Woodhead RGN DMS, considers how staffing issues within the NHS can be addressed.

The five year forward view and the sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) are beginning to map out the possible ways forward, but what of the workers? Are we prepared? Are clinical needs driving the agenda or is it cost pressures? 

The answer is probably both, in equal measure. However, we need to focus our attention on the workforce to ensure that they are available in sufficient numbers, well prepared and flexible and adaptable in order to meet the needs of future visions of care delivery. This is not without its’ difficulties. The National Audit Office points out that there are many data gaps.1 Then there is an existing vacancy rate across healthcare of approximately 5.9% which equates to 50,000 people.2 The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report in 20163 concluded that national bodies need to get a better grip on the supply of clinical staff in order to address current and future workforce pressures. The usual methods of supply of healthcare staff is to train new ones, recruit from overseas or return to practice staff. The other option, which has been relied on far too much is that of temporary staffing from agencies.