Over 100 health and care organisations called on MPs to support the motion.
Conservative MPs have voted against new legislation that could help to address the current health and social care workforce crisis.
Yesterday MPs voted against an amendment to the Health and Care Bill that would require the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to publish an independently verified workforce assessment and plan at least every two years.
Despite the amendment being backed by the House of Lords and Health Select Committee Chair and former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, it was voted down by the vast majority of Conservative MPs. All other parties voted to support the amendment.
Well over 100 health and social care organisations also wrote to MPs earlier this month to explain the importance of the amendment in tackling the current workforce shortages.
NHS Staff Survey published yesterday found that only 21.4% of registered nurses and midwives agreed that “there are enough staff at this organisation for me to do my job properly”, a fall from 33.4% in 2020.
An NHS workforce crisis.
The news comes only weeks after MPs called upon the NHSPRB to fund a pay rise of just £900 for most nurses while themselves being awarded well over £2,000 due to “dramatically increased” duties during the pandemic.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is now calling on the House of Lords to ask MPs to reconsider their rejection of the amendment.
RCN Director for England, Patricia Marquis, said: “The government has rejected the opportunity to make an essential first step towards tackling the NHS workforce crisis. England’s nursing staff will be bitterly disappointed tonight and this moment will live long in the memory.
Ms Marquis continued, “Ministers have defeated an amendment supported by all major health and organisations asking them to publish an assessment of how many nursing staff and others are needed to provide safe patient care.
“The public and patients are demanding action from government to tackle nursing shortages, for now and in the longer term – they contribute to treatment delays and some patients even pay the highest price.
