The Interim NHS People Plan: implications for nurse education

The NHS is the largest employer in the UK and provides a fundamental service to the population. Maintaining recruitment and retention of staff is clearly central to care quality now and in the future. In June, the Interim NHS People Plan (NHS England et al, 2019) was published to address workforce requirements to deliver care priorities over the next 10 years as outlined in The NHS Long Term Plan (NHS England and NHS Improvement, 2019).

By far the most urgent healthcare staff shortage relates to the nursing workforce. Currently, there are 40 000 vacancies in substantive nursing posts across all hospital and community services, with significant shortages in mental health and community nursing (NHS England et al, 2019). What part does pre-registration nursing play in the Interim NHS People Plan proposals and what are the implications for its delivery within university and practice settings?