The Guardian view on staffing the NHS: Wes Streeting needs a plan for its people | Editorial

PHe is heading to the first Long -term workforce plan NHSIn 2023, the King’s Thinktank Fund described the deficiency of employees and gaps in England as “”Deep“This document was supposed to be the beginning of something. Under the conservatives, Parliament rejected the idea that the NHS job strategy England should be subject to independent scrutiny. But given the initial estimate of 260,000 a shortage of the workforce in England (including doctors and nurses), there was a promise to review this position in two years.

This date is close. The workforce reform should be among the big topics of the 10 -year work plan for health service, when it is published in June. In recent weeks, interest focused on the center, after announcing that NHS England will be canceled and functional, along with about half of its 15,000 employees, which brought INHOUSE to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. The maneuver continues at the highest level, with the fullness of Sir Chris White the role of permanent secretary on a temporary basis. But what about the changes on the front lines that will be required if the government will succeed?

to publish Society and welfare workers To 13 other regions, after a successful pilot, is one idea of ​​what awaits us. Although they are not clinically, such as health visitors, these workers are responsible for checks on families in a specific area known to need support, and can help in housing or other practical issues as well as health. Early results are promising. This type of comprehensive communication appears to be compatible with the government’s goal of protecting the community, and reducing the percentage of health budgets spent in hospitals.

But developing new roles and projects such as this while reducing budgets and jobs at the same time will be difficult, at the very least. Instructions to NHS confident in reducing 50 % of the cost of corporate jobs, such as human resources and communications, can lead to Loss of 100,000 jobs In total – the huge frequency of repetition. Integrated care panels are also under instructions to relieve and concentrate assignment.

On the Health Select committee on Tuesday, Wes Streeting himself as a warrior against bureaucratic bloating. He said to the process of integration with deputies on power NHS England aims to push the decision to the bottom of the line to the neighborhoods. To reduce the central goals, hold on to its hero. They want the ministers more “actors” and “cuddles” are less.

Will initial care and primary care services be able to provide what is asked of them? However, the plan has been frame for 10 years, and this seems to be a major question over the next few years. How to reconcile the commitment to local innovation with equity demands is another. In waiting lists, GP numbers, there is modest progress to report. The danger is that Discounts and reorganization They cause more problems than solved. Talking about the importance of “actors” is one thing. But the morale of the employees and sick Satisfaction both at low levels of anxiety, with additional strikes are strong. The crisis in the NHS workforce is continuing.

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