Recruitment and retention commitments outlined

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced a number of commitments to support recruitment and retention in the NHS, including 25 per cent increase in nurse training posts.

Building on the commitment to 10,000 more training places for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals announced in August this year, the government will provide funding for the clinical placements required for an additional 5,170 pre-registration nurse degrees from 2018.

A further 5,000 nursing associates will be trained through the apprentice route in 2018, with an additional 7,500 being trained in 2019. The Health Secretary also announced plans for the introduction of a new shortened nurse degree apprenticeship route for qualified nursing associates who wish to work towards full Nursing Midwifery Council registered nurse status.

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference, Hunt discussed also measures to support affordable housing and flexible working.

NHS Confederation and NHS Employers have been urging the Department of Health to commit to using NHS land to build additional affordable housing for NHS staff, and welcome Hunt’s intention to do so. The so-called ‘Homes for Nurses’ scheme plans to give 3,000 NHS workers first refusal on affordable housing generated through the sale of surplus NHS land.

The NHS bodies are also encouraged by the commitment to a 25 per cent increase in placements for student nurses, and the tripling of the number of nursing associates providing care to patients.

Hunt also announced increased support for offering flexible working for all NHS staff, through a new mobile app to support more flexible access to bank working, which will be piloted initially across 12 trusts.

Hunt said: "The NHS will be looking after a million more over-75s in just a decade, so we need to jump-start nurse training. This represents the biggest increase in nurse training places in the history of the NHS – and we will make sure that many of the additional places go to healthcare assistants training on hospital sites. This will allow us to expand our nurse workforce with some highly experienced people already working on the NHS frontline.

"We will also improve retention rates amongst our current workforce, introducing new arrangements to support flexible working available to all NHS staff, and a new right of first refusal for affordable housing built on NHS property. Combined with the 25 per cent increase in undergraduate medical school places announced last year it will transform the ability of the NHS to cope with the pressures ahead."

Danny Mortimer, head of NHS Employers, said: “Housing is a critical issue for staff and their families, and this announcement to build affordable homes on NHS land will undoubtedly help to address the ongoing challenges of recruitment and retention. We will continue our work to seek real improvement in this key area and to make all the Secretary of State’s announcements a reality."