Shortfall in healthcare professionals could hamper Labour’s plans to increase NHS staff
24 September 2014
Labour’s plans to increase the numbers of doctors and nurses in the NHS have been met with concerns about the shortfall in available healthcare staff.
Wed, 24 Sep 2014 | By Nicola SullivanLabour’s plans to increase the numbers of doctors and nurses in the NHS have been met with concerns about the shortfall in available healthcare staff.
In his party conference speech Ed Miliband said a Labour government would set aside resources for 3,000 more midwives, 5,000 more care workers, 8,000 more GPs and 20,000 more nurses. He added that this would not be paid for out of the public purse but by clamping down on tax avoidance loopholes, using proceeds from a mansion tax on homes above £2m and a new tax on tobacco.
However, Tony Moss, managing director of Your World Healthcare, told Recruiter that while he welcomes the additional support for the NHS he is concerned that the plans could be hampered by a lack of healthcare staff – a problem he said is currently exacerbated by the UK’s anti-immigration rhetoric.
He said: "While we acknowledge there are shortages within the NHS for various healthcare roles – particularly nursing – we welcome the additional support that's being promised by the Labour Party. However, we have greater concerns regarding the shortfall of available healthcare staff and the effect of our immigration rhetoric in meeting this demand.
“The bigger issue is that there simply aren’t enough qualified nurses available to start within, whether we have increased capacity for recruiting or not. Generalising our immigration stance affects our great need to recruit from other European countries – we have to acknowledge we're in competition with them for their healthcare professionals.
“To this end, the Labour Party have to be careful not to contradict themselves on their pledges to take a harder line on immigration while still ensuring Britain is welcoming place to live and work."
In a press statement, Frances O’Grady, general secretary of Trades Union Congress (TUC), said: “This was a speech that spoke to the real problems and worries of working people – jobs, living standards, homes and a secure future for the NHS. Its policy agenda, genuinely ambitious but believable, is exactly the way to reconnect politics to voters.”
Miliband also pledged to ensure as many school leavers take up apprenticeships as go to university, by raising the number of apprenticeships from about 100,000 to 400,000.
Kirstie Donnelly, UK managing director of City & Guilds, said it is important to focus on the quality of apprenticeships rather than just the quantity. In a press statement she said: “What we need now are details from Labour about how these additional apprenticeships will be created and how they intend to ensure that quality remains high … We need schools to offer robust careers advice so young people are aware of their options, and we also need to see businesses work with awarding bodies to ensure consistent high-quality training.”
Meanwhile, Derek Kelly, managing director of Optionis (the parent company of Parasol), was disappointed that Miliband made no reference to the ongoing tax avoidance debate surrounding umbrella staffing organisations. He told Recruiter: “It is important to make a distinction between those firms and professional, compliant employment providers – such as Parasol – that offer skilled contractors and freelancers genuine support.
“Until politicians and civil servants grasp this, it sadly seems inevitable that our entire sector will continue to be dragged unfairly into the ongoing debate on tax avoidance – damaging Parasol and other compliant providers by association.”
In his party conference speech Ed Miliband said a Labour government would set aside resources for 3,000 more midwives, 5,000 more care workers, 8,000 more GPs and 20,000 more nurses. He added that this would not be paid for out of the public purse but by clamping down on tax avoidance loopholes, using proceeds from a mansion tax on homes above £2m and a new tax on tobacco.
However, Tony Moss, managing director of Your World Healthcare, told Recruiter that while he welcomes the additional support for the NHS he is concerned that the plans could be hampered by a lack of healthcare staff – a problem he said is currently exacerbated by the UK’s anti-immigration rhetoric.
He said: "While we acknowledge there are shortages within the NHS for various healthcare roles – particularly nursing – we welcome the additional support that's being promised by the Labour Party. However, we have greater concerns regarding the shortfall of available healthcare staff and the effect of our immigration rhetoric in meeting this demand.
“The bigger issue is that there simply aren’t enough qualified nurses available to start within, whether we have increased capacity for recruiting or not. Generalising our immigration stance affects our great need to recruit from other European countries – we have to acknowledge we're in competition with them for their healthcare professionals.
“To this end, the Labour Party have to be careful not to contradict themselves on their pledges to take a harder line on immigration while still ensuring Britain is welcoming place to live and work."
In a press statement, Frances O’Grady, general secretary of Trades Union Congress (TUC), said: “This was a speech that spoke to the real problems and worries of working people – jobs, living standards, homes and a secure future for the NHS. Its policy agenda, genuinely ambitious but believable, is exactly the way to reconnect politics to voters.”
Miliband also pledged to ensure as many school leavers take up apprenticeships as go to university, by raising the number of apprenticeships from about 100,000 to 400,000.
Kirstie Donnelly, UK managing director of City & Guilds, said it is important to focus on the quality of apprenticeships rather than just the quantity. In a press statement she said: “What we need now are details from Labour about how these additional apprenticeships will be created and how they intend to ensure that quality remains high … We need schools to offer robust careers advice so young people are aware of their options, and we also need to see businesses work with awarding bodies to ensure consistent high-quality training.”
Meanwhile, Derek Kelly, managing director of Optionis (the parent company of Parasol), was disappointed that Miliband made no reference to the ongoing tax avoidance debate surrounding umbrella staffing organisations. He told Recruiter: “It is important to make a distinction between those firms and professional, compliant employment providers – such as Parasol – that offer skilled contractors and freelancers genuine support.
“Until politicians and civil servants grasp this, it sadly seems inevitable that our entire sector will continue to be dragged unfairly into the ongoing debate on tax avoidance – damaging Parasol and other compliant providers by association.”
- For a round up of conference news and how it relates to recruitment, see tomorrow’s Recruiter bulletin for a blog from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation.
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