At a glance: what’s in the NHS long-term workforce plan for doctors?

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By Beth Roberts

The long-awaited workforce plan has finally arrived, promising to “train, retain and reform” the NHS workforce. What are the key takeaways for doctors?

Since it was announced in spring 2022, there has been increasing pressure on the government to publish a long-term plan for the NHS workforce.¹ One in 10 posts in the health service remain unfilled and 112,000 vacancies could rise to 360,000 by 2037 if not addressed.²

The new NHS Long Term Workforce Plan from NHS England seeks to address this shortfall while future-proofing staffing needs for the next 15 years.

The 151-page document pledges to ramp up medical school places and introduce plans to retain staff and expand multidisciplinary teams. It pledges an extra 60,000 doctors by 2036/37.³ New funding of £2.4 billion has been committed over the next 5 years. The plan will also be refreshed every 2 years to remain current and responsive.²

NHS Confederation Chief Executive Matthew Taylor described the plan as “thorough, bold and ambitious”.⁴ However, the British Medical Association (BMA) said it was “long, long overdue” and while there were “laudable aims”, it lacked detail and “substance on retention”.⁵