Funding is only the start of fixing CPD

We know that new starters and existing staff want and need continuing professional development (CPD). NHS Employers (2019) surveyed 563 pre- and postregistration nurses asking ‘what matters most in relation to recruitment and retention?’ and the ‘opportunity to develop’ was in the top three for both groups. The House of Commons Health Select Committee (HSC) reviewed the national nursing workforce shortage and concluded that poor access to CPD was a contributing factor to retention, calling for previous cuts to CPD budgets to be reversed (Merrifield, 2018). Following the review, in 2019, the Government announced £150 million for CPD was to be allocated to NHS trusts via Health Education England (HEE) in 2020–2021 and thereafter to enable employers to provide a £1000 training budget over the next 3 years for each NHS nurse, midwife and allied health professional (HM Treasury, 2019).