The House of Lords is to consider amendments tabled to the Health and Care Bill over workforce planning and hospital catering.
Workforce planning
A coalition of almost 90 health and care organisations is calling for the Bill to be amended to mandate independent assessments of current and future workforce numbers to be published regularly.
Government has so far dismissed amendments on workforce projections, such as that tabled by former Health Minister, Jeremy Hunt, in November – despite cross-party support. This latest amendment has been tabled by Baroness Cumberledge and has support from Lord Hunt of King’s Heath (President of the Hospital Caterers Association, HCA), Baroness Brinton and Lord Stevens of Birmingham. It aims to close the data gap and strengthen accountability and transparency on workforce planning.
Catering services
Today (January 24), Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, will also speak to an amendment which the HCA has lobbied for since September last year. The amendment has gathered support, and Baroness Thornton, Opposition Spokesperson, has added her name.
The amendment to clause 145 reads:
258 Page 124, line 12, at end insert - “(c) require a minimum protected patient day funded food cost updated on an annual basis; (d) require mandatory training for catering staff employed in the NHS or on contract with the NHS for the purposes of implementing the standards set out in the regulations made under this section; (e) require mandatory training regarding the need to ensure that patients receive food and drink that takes full account of religious and dietary requirements; (f) require NHS England to ensure that a programme is established to ensure that necessary improvements are made to NHS kitchens and catering equipment for the purposes of implementing the standards set out in regulations made under this section.”
Ministerial support
Last week, full support was also confirmed for the recommendations of the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food from Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
