Written question WQ82755

The seven NHS Wales health boards are responsible for planning, securing and delivering health services for the populations they serve. The health boards also commission services from three NHS trusts which have a remit to provide health care services within their areas of responsibility.

Health boards and trusts are responsible for workforce planning with strategic leadership provided by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). Health boards, through their Integrated Medium Term Plans (IMTPs), plan their workforce based on demographic and workforce trends. This information is not held centrally by the Welsh Government.

Each year I will agree the level of new places commissioned for healthcare education and training based on recommendations made annually by HEIW through the education commissioning training plan. The training plan is aligned with A Healthier Wales and with the aims and objectives of the workforce strategy for health and social care, launched in October 2020.

In developing the annual education commissioning training plan, HEIW’s recommendations are informed by:

• NHS health board and trust Integrated Medium Term Plans (IMTPs)

• National service priorities

• Workforce modelling and wider available workforce intelligence

• Capacity within the system to support training places

• Engagement with key stakeholders, including the royal colleges and other professional organisations, to consider a range of workforce information that inform the workforce planning recommendations.

The IMTPs are scrutinised by Welsh Government, who support organisations in the development of their plans.

Following approval of the education commissioning training plan, £227m is being invested in 2021-22, equating to an 8.3% increase from 2020-21, and will support the highest ever number of health professional training opportunities in Wales. The exact level of funding beyond the current financial year will be based on future recommendations made by HEIW. Welsh Government will at a minimum maintain the current level of training places over the next five years.

The Welsh Government is supporting staff retention through a range of policies to enhance staff engagement and wellbeing to support people to remain in work. Furthermore, the Welsh Government has maintained the NHS bursary in Wales for students starting their studies in the academic year 2021-22 and 2022-23. This means, in Wales the full bursary package will continue to be available for those who commit in advance to work in Wales for up to two years post qualification.

The following table shows the number of pre-registration nursing places.