REC responds to Hewitt Review of healthcare

Responding to Hewitt Review: an independent review of integrated care systems published today, Kate Shoesmith, REC Deputy Chief Executive, said:

“We support Patricia Hewitt’s recommendation today for the government to produce an urgent strategy for the social care workforce to complement the imminent and desperately needed NHS workforce plan. Workforce plans for both health and social care need to consider the insight of recruiters who are told time and again by staff leaving substantive roles in the NHS that the key factors behind the workforce crisis are the lack of flexibility, staff burnout, working conditions and poor mental health. A more coherent and joined-up approach between the staffing industry, the NHS and the care sector is essential to delivering better patient care and efficiency.

“It is not rocket science to know that without a well-resourced plan for overcoming the labour shortages in health and social care there will be little progress felt by those using these critical services.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

Overcoming shortages - How to create a sustainable labour market – July 2022. In this report, we show exactly how much damage could be done if we don’t step up. With a 10% surge in demand for staff across the economy, and the labour market restricted by shortages, we could see a 1.2% fall in expected GDP and productivity by 2027 – costing the economy anywhere between £30 billion and £39 billion every year. This figure is just short of the entire current defence budget, or two whole Elizabeth Lines.

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