RCOT health workforce plea to Prime Minister
“We are dismayed”: Health workforce plea to Prime Minister from RCOT and 39 other UK organisations.
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists is among 40 big name signatories of a letter to the PM urging him to act to resolve “the chronic workforce shortage” in the NHS.
It will take time to resolve this situation, which is why the delay in acting to address the workforce crisis is so damaging. 
RCOT added its weight to the appeal letter to Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak after the Government failed to meet its promise to publish a funded workforce plan over a year ago.
“We've warned the Prime Minster that his promises to improve the NHS will not be met unless the workforce crisis is addressed”, RCOT said.
“The workforce plan was originally earmarked for publication in Spring 2022 but has still not been published.”
The letter, also signed by the NHS Confederation, urges the PM to act by issuing ‘a sustainable plan immediately’.
It reads, ‘As organisations representing the health professions, patients, NHS staff and NHS organisations, we are dismayed at the continuing delay in publishing a funded health workforce plan for England.
‘None of your policy commitments on health can be achieved unless we address the chronic workforce shortage.
‘Across all sectors, professions, specialities, condition pathways and services there are mass vacancies and insufficient numbers of staff to meet current, let alone future, population need.
‘It will take time to resolve this situation, which is why the delay in acting to address the workforce crisis is so damaging.
‘The sooner we start to train and recruit more staff, and act to retain those already serving the public, the sooner we will see improvements in healthcare.
‘Many of us have contributed to developing the workforce plan. We want it to succeed.
‘We want to be able to welcome it if it provides the long-term vision needed and clear commitments to funded workforce expansion. Please act now.”
Along with RCOT’s Chief Executive, Steve Ford, other signatories include:
- UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum - Chloë Hayward, Executive Director
- Neurological Alliance - Georgina Carr, Chief Executive
- Headway - Luke Griggs, Chief Executive
- MS Society - Nick Moberly, Chief Executive Officer
- Parkinson’s UK - Juliet Tizzard, Director
- Spinal Injuries Association - Nik Hartley OBE, Chief Executive
- Stroke Association - Charlotte Nicholls, Head of Policy
- Richmond Group of Charities - Duleep Allirajah, Chief Executive
- Care Provider Alliance - Nadra Ahmed, Chair
- Royal College of Speech & Language Therapy - Steve Jamieson, Chief Executive
- Chartered Society of Physiotherapy - Prof. Karen Middleton, Chief Executive
- British Association of Art Therapists - Gary Fereday, Chief Executive
- British Association of Dramatherapists - Jane Bourne, Chair
- British Association of Music Therapy - Andrew Langford, Chief Executive
- British Association of Sport Rehabilitators - Steve Aspinall, Chief Executive
- British Dietetic Association - Liz Stockley, Chief Executive
- British Medical Association - Prof. Phil Banfield, Chair of Council
And this, please, PM...
In an autumn 2022 petition to the Government, over 80 organisations making up the UK’s Neurological Alliance, along with the Association of British Neurologists, called for a nationwide taskforce to tackle the neuro community’s ‘urgent’ needs.
They want Government go-ahead for an expert taskforce to draw up a national plan that provides equal healthcare support for everyone with a neurological diagnosis.
More on that here: Petition plea to Government for ‘urgent’ UK neuro taskforce
