Public Accounts Committee

“[Speaker: Jenny Rathbone] Thank you very much. In the daily COVID briefing on 10 February, you said that 8 per cent of NHS staff were absent from work, compared to 5 per cent the same time last year. And meanwhile, the nine unions who are operating the health services are highlighting the fact that the staff are completely exhausted. So, even when they're not absent, they are on the verge of collapse. So, I wondered if you could tell me what your strategy is for reinforcing the workforce, and giving people who've given 150 per cent over the last 12 months some measure of respite.”