In a Plenary debate on Wednesday 11 February 2015, Plaid Cymru is calling on the Welsh Government to develop a new national workforce plan for the NHS, which includes actions to train and recruit 1,000 additional doctors, to ensure the NHS is able to deliver health services in all parts of Wales. Follow these links to some useful background information:
- NHS Wales Workforce: Key themes and trends (NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, January 2015)
- Staff directly employed by the NHS. The most recent report includes data on medical, dental, nursing and midwifery staff in Wales (at 30 September 2013).
- The latest annual report on General Medical Practitioners in Wales provides data on GP workforce trends over the ten year period 2003 to 2013.
- In its plan for a primary care service for Wales (November 2014), the Welsh Government indicated that by March 2015, a primary care workforce development plan would be published.
- The Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care’s Mid Wales Healthcare Study report (September 2014) describes a future model for the provision of healthcare services in mid Wales.
- The Welsh Government commissioned a ‘health professional education investment review’, looking at whether the investment in health professional education delivers the workforce needed. This work is expected to report in the near future.
- Professor Greenaway’s shape of training review (2013), looked at potential reforms to the structure of postgraduate medical education and training across the UK. One of the key messages in the report is the need for more doctors who are capable of providing general care in broad specialties across a range of different settings. The Health Minister has previously stated that the Welsh Government is in discussion with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations to agree how this work will be taken forward.
Article by Philippa Watkins, National Assembly for Wales Research Service.
