Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Workforce Shortages: Rural Areas

Tuesday 1 November 2022 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Anne Marie Morris raised concerns about workforce shortages in Devon, highlighting vacant nursing and mental health roles and a lack of new NHS dental patients.
  • The Minister acknowledged security concerns for rural nurses and staff, promising to meet with local leaders to address these issues if needed.
  • Jim Shannon requested a meeting to discuss funding for the Three Counties Medical School in Worcester, which the Minister agreed to consider positively.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Anne Marie Morris Con
NHS Employment
Context

Workforce shortages are acute in Devon, with one in ten nursing positions unfilled and significant vacancies in mental health roles. Additionally, there is a gap between current training plans and actual needs.

Question

In Devon, workforce shortages are acute. One in 10 nursing places remains unfilled, one in eight mental health roles across the south-west is vacant, and there are no dental practices taking on new NHS patients. That gap is too big to be bridged through current training and recruitment plans. Will the Minister create as a matter of urgency an innovative new career pathway, reducing the time to get new staff to the frontline?

Answer from Will Quince

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. She is a passionate campaigner on this issue. I recently responded to a debate on this issue led by her. We have developed an apprenticeship route for almost all professions in our NHS, allowing people to join the health and care sector immediately on an earn-as-you-learn basis. We continue to work hard to develop pathways into health and care professions, including via our groundbreaking blended online learning programmes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to creating a new career pathway or reducing time for frontline staff.

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Q2 Anne Marie Morris Con
NHS Community Security
Context

There are real security concerns about entering homes alone, leading to resignations in many rural areas.

Question

In terms of district nursing and community midwifery, is the Minister aware that there are real security concerns about entering homes alone, and that that plays into resignations in many rural areas? Will he address that by providing security devices so that rural, isolated nurses and staff know that they are not alone and are safe?

Answer from Will Quince

The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting point. It is not something that has come across my desk in the two days I have had this portfolio, but I will of course meet local integrated care system leaders, and if it is something they are calling for, I will look to see what we can do to assist.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to providing security devices or addressing the issue immediately.

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
NHS Education Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

Worcestershire and Herefordshire suffer from a shortage of doctors at both primary and secondary levels. The Three Counties Medical School has received numerous applications.

Question

Worcestershire and Herefordshire are rural areas that suffer from a shortage of doctors at both primary and secondary levels. My hon. Friend is an excellent Minister: will he meet me to discuss the strong case for funding places at the Three Counties Medical School in Worcester—a ready-made solution to the problem—which has already seen 851 applications from home students?

Answer from Will Quince

I thank my hon. Friend for his compliment. He raises an important issue. I know that my predecessor not only agreed to meet him, but undertook to visit Worcester. I would be happy to make the same commitment.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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Q4 Robin Walker Con
NHS Environment
Context

Wirral and Cheshire have many rural areas with significant healthcare challenges. Healthcare professionals highlighted retention as a critical issue.

Question

Wirral and Cheshire have many rural areas, with all the same problems that have been described. When I met healthcare professionals on Friday, they were clear that the problem is not just recruitment, it is also retention. Which of the changes that have happened over the past 12 years to make working life for NHS staff less good than it needs to be will he reverse?

Answer from Will Quince

Of course retention is as important as recruitment. Since September, we have had the non-repayable training grant, which is a minimum of £5,000 per academic year, additional funding for certain courses, and extra funding worth up to £3,000 for eligible students to cover childcare costs. That is, of course, on recruitment. On retention, we are looking at more access to mental health support and high-quality support while in training and clinical placement, but of course there is more to do.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to reversing specific changes affecting working lives of NHS staff.

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Q5 Alison McGovern Lab Birkenhead
NHS Social Care
Context

Workforce shortages are acute, with significant vacancies in nursing positions and mental health roles.

Question

What recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on tackling health and care workforce shortages in rural areas.

Answer from Will Quince

Ministers and officials regularly engage with a wide range of organisations to ensure that we are alert to the staffing issues facing the NHS and care sector across our country. We have increased training places for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals and increased access to clinical placements across a wide range of settings. We have also developed apprenticeships and blended learning opportunities to improve access to training that supports remote and rural communities.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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