NHS Consultants and Doctors: Staff Retention

HL Deb 11 December 1997 vol 584 cc55-6WA

The Earl of Munster

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What measures are undertaken to retain both trainee doctors and the most highly qualified consultants within the National Health Service.

Baroness Jay of Paddington

The Government are committed to tackling the concerns of National Health Service staff and bringing back a more co-operative culture by listening to staff and taking an evolutionary approach to change. The new approach is based on a combination of fairness, flexibility, and efficiency. In September 1997, a consultation exercise on managing human resources in the NHS, a service wide approach, was launched in England. A key aim of this strategy is to provide sufficient experienced, knowledgeable, skilled, well trained and highly motivated staff to deliver health services. In Scotland, a similar consultation exercise to develop a human resource strategy was launched in October 1997. Good recruitment and retention practice in trusts is being identified for sharing with the service. Annual planning guidance issued to the NHS, stresses the need for employers to improve retention for all staff.