PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Paediatrics (3 February 2015)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Medical Workforce Census 2013, published in December 2014, what plans he has to increase the community paediatric workforce.

Asked by:
Stuart Andrew (Conservative)

The Health Education England (HEE) Workforce Plan for England, published in December 2014, confirmed an increase in children’s nurse commissions in 2015/16 by 161 (7.4%) on 2014/15 commissions.

Between May 2010 and October 2014, the full-time equivalent number of nurses, midwives and health visitors recorded as working in the area of Paediatric Nursing has increased by 624 (4%) from 15,795 to 16,419. Not all the staff working in this area will be children’s nurses and only some of these may be working in community settings; the National Health Service occupational codes distinguishes nursing staff by the ‘area’ in which they work and their ‘level’; it does not distinguish the setting in which they work.

The local education and training boards work with providers in their area, including employers, to contribute to HEE’s overall future workforce plan. It is the responsibility of employers to ensure they have the right staff, with the right skills to deliver high quality care, which includes supporting their continuing professional development.

HEE has established a Children and Young People programme to provide leadership in this area. The programme is being led by the President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and, working with partners, will ensure that our current and future healthcare workforce is sustainable and equipped to deliver high quality care, reducing variations in physical and mental health outcomes for children and young people.

Answered by:
Dr Dan Poulter (Labour)
9 February 2015