NHS to recruit fewer staff but more GPs, leaked plan suggests

Getty/Kayode Fashola

By Erin Dean

The NHS could be set to recruit fewer healthcare staff and rely more on artificial intelligence – but boost the number of GPs, a draft workforce plan for England suggests.

The plan, leaked to the Financial Times (FT), suggests that the government’s shift to more care outside hospitals will mean up to 49,000 more GPs might be needed by 2035.

This is 23% more than in the previous 2023 version – but could be at the expense of doctors working in hospitals.

The British Medical Association strongly criticised the plan, stating it was a “dangerous gamble” to rely on artificial intelligence (AI) rather than investing in expanding the medical workforce.

From the preliminary details available in the FT coverage, under the new plan the NHS is likely to have enough doctors to reach predicted demand by 2034/35, but will recruit fewer nurses than previously expected.

AI could be used to completely substitute for some roles and to streamline many tasks, “for example by using patient data to frame a consultation, highlight risk information and identify key patient information”, the draft said.