Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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Workforce

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The Workforce Directorate (WD) is responsible for all policy that impacts on the working lives of NHS staff, including pay, pensions, education and training and health and well-being.  It is also responsible for ensuring that the four pledges to staff set out in the NHS Constitution are met and that we develop the workforce we need for the future success of the service.

The WD is also responsible for the National Leadership Council, which is working to transform leadership across the NHS.  

High quality care can only be achieved if we have a high quality workforce to deliver it. There is a proven link between the experience of staff and the experience of patients.

It is essential that we provide the support for the 1.4 million people who work in the NHS delivering services to patients everyday.

Latest updates

Workshops launched to help NHS implement health and well-being

Four nationwide workshops are being run to help those in the NHS responsible for the health and well-being of staff to implement the recommendations made in the Boorman Review. The workshops will be run in London (24 February), York (4 March), Bristol (11 March) and Derby (17 March)

National Leadership Awards

The successful nominees of the National Leadership Awards have now been announced. The inaugural ceremony was held on 25 November 2009 and hosted by NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson. To see the nominations and successful nominees in each category, visit:

NHS Constitution received Royal Assent

The NHS Constitution is part of the new Health Act that received Royal Assent on 12 November 2009. The Act aims to help protect children and young people from the harms of tobacco and also places a legal duty on the NHS and its providers to have regard to the NHS Constitution. 

To read more about the NHS Constitution visit:

NHS Health & Well-being review

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The Department of Health commissioned an independent review of the health and well-being of staff in November 2008. The final report was published on 23 November 2009 and is available on our website:

NHS Employers annual conference

Delegates at the NHS Employers annual conference in November 2009 were delighted to see (workforce) experts grilled in the famous Mastermind chair on topical issues including Health and Well-being, the NHS Constitution, Medical Revalidation and Leadership.

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