Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Recruitment of NHS Nurses

Tuesday 13 April 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Claire Coutinho asked about the progress on increasing NHS nurse recruitment.
  • The response stated the aim to increase the number of NHS nurses by 50,000 through improving retention and recruitment.
  • Coutinho inquired about protecting staff holidays to enable rest and recovery.
  • The response confirmed advising NHS Employers to allow staff to carry over annual leave.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Claire Coutinho Con East Surrey
NHS
Context

The question arises from the ongoing challenge of recruiting and retaining enough nurses in the NHS, particularly after the strain caused by the pandemic.

Question

What progress his Department has made on increasing the recruitment of nurses to the NHS. The number of nurses is at an all-time high but the department aims to increase this number further.

Answer from Helen Whately

NHS nurses have gone above and beyond throughout the pandemic. We are committed to increasing the number of nurses in the NHS by 50,000 over this Parliament through improving retention and increasing domestic supply and international recruitment, and we are on track to do that. The number of nurses in the NHS is at an all-time high of 301,491 full-time equivalent nurses employed in NHS trusts and CCGs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: While acknowledging the importance of nurse recruitment, the response does not provide specific progress details or timelines.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email
Q2 Claire Coutinho Con East Surrey
NHS
Context

The question is prompted by the recognition that NHS staff, especially nurses, have worked tirelessly during the pandemic without breaks or time off. There is a need to ensure they can recover from this strain.

Question

Can Ministers assure me that they will work with NHS England to protect staff holidays and enable and encourage NHS staff to get the rest and recuperation they need as public focus turns towards the NHS backlog?

Answer from Helen Whately

I completely agree with my hon. Friend that staff must be allowed and supported to recover from the pandemic. We have advised NHS Employers to make sure that staff can carry over annual leave. We are determined that the pace of NHS recovery must also allow staff the rest and recuperation they need.

Answered
Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Get updates like this by email