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Join Andy and Gandhi as they review the long-awaited NHS Workforce plan which sets out the NHS plans for the next 15 years. Is it any good? Find out with us....
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content...
Published 29 June 2023
Commissioned and accepted by the government
Costed plan
Addresses how NHS will meet workforce challenges, 15 years, £2.4bn
The problem is significant
Staffing shortfalls have been a long-standing issue and NHS vacancies now stand at 112,000
The plan’s modelling estimates that vacancies would rise to 360,000 by 2037 if no action is taken
Priority areas:
Train - increase numbers of staff
Retain - 130,000
Reform - Work differently and modernise
Headline features
doubling medical school training places to 15,000 by 2031/32, with more places in areas with the greatest shortages
increasing the number of GP training places by 50 per cent to 6,000 by 2031
almost doubling the number of adult nurse training places by 2031, with 24,000 more nurse and midwife training places a year by 2031
providing 22 per cent of training for clinical staff through apprenticeship routes by 2031/32
introducing medical degree apprenticeships with pilots running in 2024/25 so that by 2031/32 2,000 medical students will train by this route
training more NHS staff domestically – in 15 years’ time, we would expect around 9-10.5 per cent of the workforce to be recruited from overseas compared to nearly a quarter now
ensuring that more than 6,300 clinicians start advanced practice pathways each year by 2031/32
increasing training places for nursing associates (NAs) to 10,500 by 2031/32 – by 2036/37, there will be over 64,000 nursing associates working in the NHS, compared to 4,600 today. Thoughts and CommentsThere are no ‘specific costs’ associated with retention elements of the long-term workforce plan, NHS England’s chief executive has admitted. Ms PritchardThe document sets out a plan to ‘ensure up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years’, however that segment of the 135-page report does not specifically mention GPs. Does mention consultants. GP training places in England will increase by 50% to 6,000 by 2031 under the £2.4bn plan RETENTIONWho will train the new trainees and in what time?Reducing training time may be a false economy - requiring more support in early years.Funding confirmed to 2028? Only first 5 years costed.
