On 16 April, the All-Party Parliamentary Health Group organised the second roundtable discussion of its Workforce Series on ‘the role of healthcare professionals and Industry in delivering the NHS Long-term Workforce Plan and making it a reality’.

The session, chaired by Baroness Tyler of Enfield, convened experts and stakeholders from industry to understand how professionals can support in the delivery of the long-term workforce plan.  

The discussion highlighted challenges faced by different professional groups in the healthcare industry including general practitioners, biomedical scientists, diagnostic companies, and more. The key takeaways from the discussion were as follows: 

• A strong focus on the 5 Rs – recruit, retain, retrain, reform and return, can help revive the workforce and deliver on the NHS Long-term workforce plan. 

• Industry partnerships are important to help the NHS Trusts perform better and more effectively cater to patient demand and these collaborations should be further encouraged. 

• Serious attention should be paid towards improving the working environment in the NHS so that incoming students and workers find the workplace to be supportive and beneficial for their career and mental health. 

Through the discussion, stakeholders agreed on areas of focus for an incoming government, the need for a collaborative environment and the importance of a creating a healthy working environment.  

Speakers included: 

• Dr Navina Evans OBE - Chief Workforce, Training and Education Officer, NHS England  

• Professor Kamila Hawthorne MBE – Chair, Royal College of General Practitioners           

• Sarah May - Former Deputy Chief Executive and Biomedical Science Consultant, Institute of Biomedical Science   

• Dr Simon Opher – Chair, Stroud NHS locality  

• Dr James Cottam – General Manager, Cepheid UK  

• Charlie Chappatte – Senior Director of Strategy & Operations, 18 Week Support  

• Professor Alison Leary – Chair of Healthcare and Workforce Modelling, London South Bank University  

• Anna Winyard - Director of Strategic Capabilities, Johnson and Johnson Medical 

To receive a meeting summary, please email lavanya.rangarajan [at] policyconnect.org.uk (lavanya[dot]rangarajan[at]policyconnect[dot]org[dot]uk).