Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

NHS 10-year Workforce Plan

Tuesday 13 January 2026 · 4 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Aphra Brandreth raised concerns about doctors in Chester South and Eddisbury struggling to secure specialty posts after years of training.
  • Jen Craft highlighted long waiting times for neurodiversity diagnosis in Thurrock, with waits of up to 24 months.
  • Joe Robertson inquired about the NHS workforce plan addressing staff turnover costs, citing a Health Foundation study.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Aphra Brandreth Con Chester South and Eddisbury
NHS
Context

Doctors in Chester South and Eddisbury are struggling to secure specialty posts after medical school and foundation training, considering leaving the NHS.

Question

I have been contacted by concerned doctors in Chester South and Eddisbury who, after five or six years at medical school and a further two years of foundation training, are now struggling to secure specialty posts and are being forced to consider leaving the NHS altogether. While I will reserve judgment on the medical training Bill to be presented later today until I have seen it in full, I welcome the fact that the Government are finally treating this issue with the urgency it deserves. Can the Minister set out how this legislation will be accompanied by a credible plan to expand training numbers, so that the number of places is sufficient to meet the NHS’s short, medium and long-term workforce needs?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

I thank the hon. Member for her almost support for the Bill that we will present later to address much of this problem. Again, we are clearing up the mess we were left by her party, which, by changing the rules in delivering a workforce plan in 2023, essentially ramped up the supply of staff by extrapolating existing trends without any reference to the constraints or needs of the service. Our workforce plan will be different. We do hope for support for the Bill to remove some of the problem with foundation and specialty training places, and we look forward to rigorous debate on that subject.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on how the legislation will expand training numbers or meet NHS needs.

How: We Are Clearing Up The Mess We Were Left By Her Party

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Q2 Jen Craft Lab Thurrock
NHS Children & Families
Context

Long waits for diagnosis of neurodiversity in Thurrock, with waiting times from 18 to 24 months and some longer.

Question

Unfortunately, my constituency is not unique in seeing long waits for diagnosis of neurodiversity. From 18 to 24 months is the expected waiting time in Thurrock, and some have to wait much longer. Given that, for a child, a wait of 18 to 24 months can sometimes be their whole lifespan or half their lifespan, will the upcoming workforce plan make sure that there is a plan for paediatric care, particularly for allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and clinical physicians?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

The services my hon. Friend outlines cover a number of different areas in different locations, and I think it is very important that the workforce plan we are bringing forward reflects a different model of care. We have seen more services going into secondary care and particularly hospitals, at the expense of community care and particularly primary care. That needs to change across the age spectrum, and the new workforce plan will be designed in lockstep with a new service design, more staff in neighbourhoods and more digital support, as well as to address the issues she outlines.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not specify how the workforce plan addresses paediatric care specifically for allied health professionals.

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Q3 Joe Robertson Con Isle of Wight East
NHS
Context

The Health Foundation study found that the cost to the NHS of staff sickness and staff turnover is about £12 billion a year.

Question

A study by the Health Foundation has found that the cost to the NHS of staff sickness and staff turnover is of the order of £12 billion a year. Will the Government’s new workforce plan cover the issue of excessive cost through the entirely avoidable turnover of staff?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

Yes, because those issues are a result of the shocking staff morale as a result of the policies of the hon. Gentleman’s Government. As highlighted by Lord Darzi, staff morale, and issues around staff sickness and the huge increase in agency spending on their watch, are all signs of a system that is not functioning for patients or staff. We absolutely will bring forward measures to address those issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on how the workforce plan addresses sickness and turnover costs.

How: Those Issues Are A Result Of The Shocking Staff Morale As A Result Of The Policies

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Q4 Josh Fenton-Glynn Lab Calder Valley
NHS Social Care
Context

There are 150,000 unfilled posts in social care—three times greater than in the wider economy.

Question

When the Secretary of State was in front of the Health and Social Care Committee, he recognised that we will not solve the workforce problems in the NHS without solving the workforce problems in social care as well. There are 150,000 unfilled posts in social care—three times greater than in the wider economy. What are we going to do to help solve this problem?

Answer from The Minister for Secondary Care (Karin Smyth)

My hon. Friend and the Secretary of State are right to address the fact that we need to look across the whole span, and at people moving between those workforces. As he will know, the fair pay agreement, with the £500 million increase to support it, is part of our work to ensure those issues are addressed across the piece.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on measures addressing unfilled posts in social care.

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