Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to his statement of 19 November 2013, Official Report, columns 1095-97, on Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, what the evidential basis is for the statement that NHS trusts are planning to hire 3,700 additional nurses; and if he will publish the number of additional nurses each trust plans to hire.
Answer
The statement is based on information collected through local education and training boards from their local national health service health care providers. While the responsibility of Health Education England (HEE) is for the future work force, and not current employment, based upon data submitted, trusts are reporting their employment intentions have changed significantly between last year and this and they have revised their forecasts in-year, with plans to employ an additional 3,700 nurses by March 2014.
HEE advise that they do not have access to individual provider plans.