House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Health Update
19 December 2022 · Department of Health and Social Care
Proposed by Will Quince Con Colchester
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The NHS in England has a record number of staff due to increased funding.
- A consultation on pension rule changes to enable more flexible working is announced.
- A long-term workforce plan is being commissioned to address future demands.
Issue summary
The statement discusses the current state and future plans for the NHS workforce in England.
Action requested
The minister reports on the record number of staff employed by the NHS due to increased funding from the Autumn Statement, highlights various initiatives aimed at retaining and growing the workforce, and announces a consultation on pension rule changes to allow more flexible working. Additionally, a long-term workforce plan is being commissioned to address future demands.
Key facts
- £14.1bn made available to Health and Social Care over the next two years.
- Over 1.39 million full time equivalent staff are employed in NHS hospital trusts and primary care as of September 2022.
- There are a record number of 168,000 doctors across hospitals and general practice.
- Over 333,000 nurses are working across the NHS with over 50,000 more expected by March 2024.
- The number of medical students in undergraduate training is at a record high with an increase of 16% since 2019.
- A consultation on pension rule changes to enable flexible working up to and beyond retirement age has been launched.