Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to reduce the (a) pressure on and (b) workload of NHS staff.

We are committed to looking after the National Health Service workforce. The health, safety and wellbeing of NHS staff is a priority and as we continue to grow the NHS workforce. There are now over 42,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) more staff working in NHS provider trusts and commissioning bodies than a year ago in October 2021, including almost 4,700 more doctors and over 10,500 more nurses.

The NHS People Plan and NHS People Promise, published in July 2020, set out a comprehensive range of actions that are focussed on making the NHS a better place to work and to improve retention. This includes a stronger focus on health and wellbeing, strengthening leadership and management to support staff and expanding opportunities for flexible working. We have also committed to publishing a long term workforce plan this year to help ensure the NHS has the robust and resilient workforce it needs for the future.