South Reading Patient Voice

The King's Fund, Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation have issued a joint plan for the Health and Social Care workforce, which is a make-or-break factor in the operation of the NHS. Without changes to present practice, nursing vacancies could reach 108,000 in 10 years time, they say.

In their report the organisations recommend

• Paying a cost of living allowance to nursing students and covering fees for postgraduate nursing students,
• Recruiting 5,000 nurses internationally per year
• Train more GPs AND move to a multidisciplinary primary care approach
• Better career offer by NHS and be a better employer
• Staff pay must rise with general pay levels after current deal ends in 2021
• Sort out pay problems of highly paid staff
• Compassionate and inclusive leadership
• Fourfold increase in staff development budget
• Sector specific immigration procedures for social care workers
• Revised funding deal for social care