Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) level and (b) nature of the challenges faced by A&E staff; and what additional support he is providing to boost A&E staff morale.

As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Government is committed to making the National Health Service the best place to work, by supporting and retaining our hardworking and dedicated healthcare professionals, including those working in accident and emergency departments. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will set out how we will ensure that staff are better treated, have better training, and have more fulfilling roles.

We will also work with the Social Partnership Forum to introduce a new set of staff standards for modern employment. The new standards will reaffirm our commitment to supporting staff by tackling the issues that matter to them. They will cover access to nutritious food and drink at work, reducing violence against staff, tackling racism and sexual harassment, standards of ‘healthy work’ and occupational health support, and support for flexible working. These standards will provide a framework for leaders across the NHS to build a supportive culture to help boost morale across the workforce.