Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to help improve (a) manageable caseloads, (b) number of working hours, (c) flexibility in working hours, (d) overtime arrangements and (e) other working conditions for NHS staff.

Through the NHS People Plan and People Promise, we are improving the National Health Service as a place to work, reinforcing support for staff wellbeing, improving leadership and organisational culture and strengthening opportunities for flexible working, such as e-rostering systems.

The Department has commissioned NHS England to develop a long-term workforce plan. The plan will consider the number of staff and the roles required and will set out the actions and reforms needed to improve workforce supply and retention. We are committed to delivering an additional 50,000 nurses to ensure a sustainable, long-term workforce supply.

Additionally, the Department is represented on the NHS Staff Council for Agenda for Change and at the Joint Negotiating Committees for medical staff, which are responsible for negotiating any changes to core terms and conditions of employment. The employment offer is continuously under development to ensure that staff are rewarded fairly and the NHS can attract and retain the staff it needs.