Responding to the publication of the government's NHS workforce plan, Nadra Ahmed, co-convenor of the Cavendish Coalition, said:

“The Cavendish Coalition welcome the publication of the NHS workforce plan, as well as the recognition within it that the social care workforce is as important in helping the service recover and get back on track.  

“With measures and funding being put in place for extra training places to help recruitment and retention, this plan proves to be a positive step in the right direction. However, to enable a truly effective service integration between health and social care, recognition of staff’s skills and the ability to attract new entrants to care, we need a similar, fully funded plan for the care sector. Until there is parity between health and care, the sector will be unable to attract and retain individuals to its workforce or provide the level of service our communities deserve, and leaders are keen to deliver.

“Although the NHS workforce plan is a good start, a social care plan is vital if we want to make the health service run smoothly and reduce pressures within both the health and the care sector.”