Recruiting, retaining and training the workforce is the biggest cause of the challenges facing the health and care system.
That was the British public’s message, loud and clear, from Engage Britain’s recent People’s Panel.
In the 2022 Autumn Statement, the government also acknowledged that the workforce needs attention.
It has committed to implementing a plan looking at the need over the next 5, 10 and 15 years.
This marks an important pledge on a complex issue that’s been unaddressed for too long.
But it’s even more important because – as our work shows – this is a high priority for people across the country.
That’s why Engage Britain and The King’s Fund commissioned Bill Morgan, a former conservative special adviser, to write an independent report on the issue.
Not to provide ‘the solution’. But to shine a spotlight on where the debate often gets stuck.
This new report explores how politics interplays with workforce policy. And asks: does it have to be this way?