Today (Friday 26 September), the government has launched a call for evidence for the 10 Year Workforce Plan.
The 10 Year Workforce Plan will support the 10 Year Health Plan, published in July this year. Its aim is to ensure that the NHS has the right people, in the right roles, with the right skills. To achieve this, the government says that staff should be supported to work flexibly, grow their skills, and feel fulfilled in their careers.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:
"This is a great opportunity to look at how the hundreds of thousands of NHS workers who are unpaid carers are supported to juggle work and care. With one in three of the workforce as unpaid carers of older, ill and disabled people, they are at increased risk of giving up work to care. With our ageing population and transforming needs for care, there's an opportunity to look after staff who are unpaid carers better, helping them to stay in work for longer - which is beneficial for them, patients, the NHS and our wider economy.
"We look forward to engaging on this and will be contributing our evidence from our expert network of employers, Employers for Carers, as well as lived experience of unpaid carers to suggest ways in which the Workforce Strategy could improve support for unpaid carers."