Health Management and Policy Alert

Who cares? The experience of social care workers, and the enforcement of employment rights in the sector

Resolution Foundation - 

This report finds that social care workers have higher levels of job satisfaction and stronger job attachment than those in other low-paying sectors, but many have to contend with unsafe working conditions and unlawful under-payment of the minimum wage. This report combines new statistical analysis with findings from a series of focus groups with frontline social care workers, to shine a light on the nature of the jobs they do, the challenges they face, and the priorities for improvement.

• Report
• Press release

Basis of negotiation: recommendations to improve the NHS pay review process

Nuffield Trust - 

With the NHS pay review process recently coming in for criticism, this long read presents an eleven-point plan to help make it more fit for purpose. It sets out practical recommendations – for the UK governments, pay review bodies and unions – to improve the current pay review arrangements.

• Long read

Clinical academics in the NHS inquiry

House of Lords Science and Technology Committee -
Clinical academics are qualified doctors who combine working as a specialist doctor with research and/or teaching responsibilities. The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee have concluded an inquiry into clinical academics in the NHS. This letter to Steve Barclay MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, sets out their findings as well as their conclusions and recommendations. The overarching conclusion is that, rather than an additional pressure on the resources of the NHS, engagement with research can help to mitigate workforce challenges and improve patient outcomes. However, they also conclude that the clinical research environment in the NHS is on a precipice and without action these benefits could be lost.

• Letter
• House of Lords Science and Technology Committee - news

The future of pharmacy: manifesto report

All-Party Pharmacy Group - 

This report calls for urgent action to deliver on the potential of pharmacy teams and relieve significant funding and workforce pressures. It highlights the need for a new “strategic vision” for pharmacy and highlights opportunities for the pharmacy network to be empowered to deliver even more for patients. However, the manifesto also underlines the very real risk that this opportunity may be lost if significant and ongoing pressures are not addressed.

• Report
• Press release

Workforce development framework: social prescribing link workers

NHS England - 

This framework focuses on the core functions, skills and competencies of the social prescribing link worker (SPLW) role, alongside the professional support and development SPLWs need to enable them to practice safely, work effectively, and support improved outcomes for people and communities.

• Framework
• More detail

Growing occupational health and wellbeing together: our roadmap for the future

NHS England - 

This document sets out NHS England's five-year strategy to improve the health and wellbeing services for the NHS workforce. This strategy now forms a mandate for action for integrated care systems and NHS organisations as part of whole system workforce planning, having been included as part of 2023-24 NHS priorities and operational planning guidance.

• Guidance
• More detail

Unfair to care: understanding the social care 2022—23 pay gap and how to close it

Community Integrated Care - 

This report finds that social care workers would need a 41 per cent pay rise – equalling £8,036 – to have parity with their direct equivalents within the NHS – Band 3 Healthcare Assistants. It demonstrates that modern frontline social care requires complex technical and emotional skills, to effectively support people who commonly have complex medical and behavioural needs, proving that social care is significantly undervalued. With the cost-of-living crisis meaning that many people are no longer able to accept a job that is vocationally rewarding for significantly less pay than they could immediately command elsewhere, the sector is facing an unprecedented talent drain resulting in 165,000 vacancies on any given day.

• Report
• Press release

A vision for pharmacy professional practice in England

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) - 

This document, produced in partnership with The King’s Fund, outlines key ambitions for the future of pharmacy in England over the next decade. It sets out how pharmacy teams can support better patient care and address key challenges facing the nation’s health. It calls for the complete integration of pharmacy professionals across health and care systems to enable a transformation in patient care, supported by a comprehensive pharmacy workforce strategy, improved use of data and research to drive better patient outcomes, and strong skilful leadership and collaboration to inform professional practice.

• Report
• Press release

Health and Brexit: six years on

Nuffield Trust - 

This report finds that Brexit and its changing relationships with neighbouring countries are exacerbating the severe challenges facing health and social care in the UK today in terms of staffing, accessing essential medicines, and the overall economic picture.

• Report
• Press release

Double vision: a roadmap to double medical school places

Policy Exchange -
This report develops a detailed and costed roadmap to enable 15,000 medical students a year to enrol on courses in England by 2029. It identifies seven pathways to enable this, with recommendations including the opening of 12-15 new medical schools over the coming decade; expanding and diversifying the talent pool, including an expansion of graduate entry places; expanding the role of innovation including the use of simulation-based learning and ‘virtual placements’; and to improve alignment between placement providers, medical schools and the wider health system through the development of Placement Planning Boards.

• Report
• Policy Exchange - publications