I will close by thanking the Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (John Redwood), my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker) and the hon. Member for Bristol South (Karin Smyth) for their contributions, as well as my Clerks, my predecessor and the many members of the Committee who produced the report.
The Minister is right that many boxes have been ticked, but she also knows me well enough to know that I am always creating new boxes. We have not discussed NHS dentistry today. That is mentioned in the report, but it requires a great deal more exploration. Indeed, tomorrow we will produce the Committee’s report on NHS dentistry services—I know the Government are looking forward to that. The long-term workforce plan is a big moment, but there are boxes that are not ticked around the volunteer workforce, which I know the NHS cares greatly about, and around sexual health services, which I do not see any mention of in the plan. We will return to some of those themes.
The thing about health and the NHS is that it is never done. As I said in my remarks, we have to see the workforce plan as part of the context of the recovery plan for primary care, the urgent emergency care plan, the choice agenda in tackling waiting lists and the pension reforms—it is part of the ecosystem. The longest serving Health Secretary, who is now the Chancellor, and I have been very honest in saying that when we were at the Department, we wished we had pursued the workforce plan. There were other plans such as the NHS people plan that were shorter term, but we regret not doing this then. That is why it is so important that from the learning we have all done, we have this plan in place.
It is, I think, typically honest of the Prime Minister to produce a 15-year plan. I sincerely hope that he is re-elected next year, but of course that might not happen. The Conservative party could be out of office and back in office before the 15-year plan is complete. This is about doing the right thing for the health service, for patients and for our constituents, and doing the right thing for the country. I hope that whoever stands at that Dispatch Box next will continue this plan and build on it, because there is no alternative. The NHS is precious and we cherish it, and this plan proves that.
Question put and agreed to.
Resolved,
That this House has considered the Third Report of the Health and Social Care Committee, Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in health and social care, HC 115, published on 25 July 2022, and the Government response, HC 1289, published on 24 April 2023.