NHS workforce plan to fill and create vacancies announced - what is in it and how many jobs could be filled?

A new NHS workforce plan which proposes to employ more than 300,000 extra members of staff over the next few years has been announced.

In the first ever long-term plan of its kind, the government has revealed that more roles are expected to be filled in nurse, doctor and other heath service positions as staffing shortages continue to batter the service. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met with leaders from NHS England, NHS providers and representatives from the royal colleges earlier this week to discuss the new plans.

It has been hailed as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to revive the struggling health service, which has been hit but cuts to funding in recent years. Strikes have also taken place in departments across the NHS, with junior doctors, ambulance workers and nurses among those fighting for a higher pay over the past year.

In his announcement speech, Sunak said that the recent concerns over pay levels were being targeted by the government's plans to bring down inflation. He added that the government's stance on upcoming strikes and public sector pay levels had not changed, saying: "Everyone would like to get paid more, of course they would be. But I think everyone also recognises the economic context that we're in."

However Labour has accused the government for "adopting Labour's plans to train the doctors and nurses the NHS needs". Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said his party had introduced the plans eight years ago.

What is the new NHS workforce plan?

The document, which is due to be fully released, has already been reviewed in part by health provider professionals. New measures in the plans include doubling the amount of medical school training positions to 15,000 by 2031, with the worst-hit departments a priority for these positions.

The number of GP training places are also expected to double to 6,000 by 2031, while the number of adult nurse training places are also expected to rise by 50% in the same time-frame.

The workforce plan has also detailed plans to cut the amount of time doctors spend in medical school, reducing the journey from junior positions to fully-fledged qualified roles. Experts hope that this will increase the amount of home-grown NHS professionals.

The amount of apprentice places are also set to be increased to help plug gaps within departments hit by severe staffing shortages and allow students to "earn while they learn". Around 16% of all training for clinical staff, including doctors and nurses, will be offered through the degree apprenticeships by 2028, with an aim of introducing 850 doctor apprenticeships by this point.

Nurses will be allowed to start work as soon as they graduate in May, rather than the current way of working in which roles are offered for a September start date. New medical schools will also be introduced in parts of the country which have been hit worst by staffing struggles.

How will the NHS workforce plan affect staffing numbers?

The workforce plan has been introduced with a new £2.7billion investment from the government to fund medical education and training places. Officials have said that staffing levels could increase to more than 360,000 vacancies in the NHS by 2037 if measures are introduced.

The document has also placed a focus on the retention of staff. The hope is that new pension reforms in the sector would mean that 130,000 NHS staff members stay longer in their roles.

What has the government said about the NHS workforce place?

To be unveiled on the 75th anniversary of the NHS's creation, Sunak described the new document as a "plan for investment and a plan for reform."

He added: “In the coming years we will train twice the number of doctors and an extra 24,000 more nurses a year, helping to cut waiting lists and improve patient care. We will do more to retain our brilliant NHS staff and reform the way the health system works to ensure it is fit for the future.

“This is something no other government has done and will be one of the most significant commitments I will make as Prime Minister – acting as the cornerstone for our vision for a better, more modern healthcare system and putting the NHS on a sure footing for the long term.”

During a press conference, Sunak also added that the new workforce plan will also help to target shortcomings in dentistry, stating that there were plans to increase funding for dental training places as well as plans to introduce more "tie-in" opportunities for newly-qualified dentists in order for the NHS to retain more dentists.

In terms of timeline, the Prime Minister skirted around any promises in terms of an immediate impact on waiting lists and other problems facing patients and staff. He said that the public and sector should be "reassured" by the level of investment being pledged to help the NHS, announced alongside the new workforce plan.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “The NHS is the biggest employer in the country and holds the affection of the British people because of the staff who work around the clock to care for us.

“The NHS long-term workforce plan, backed by significant Government investment, shows our determination to support and grow the workforce.”

However, Labour's shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, has criticised the government for "adopting Labour's plans to train the doctors and nurses the NHS needs." The party said that had plans been introduced eight years ago, there would be enough fully-trained people to fill the 8,500 doctors positions and 40,000 nurse positions current unfilled in the health service.

He added: "They should have done this a decade ago - then the NHS would have enough staff today. Instead, the health service is short of 150,000 staff and this announcement will take years to have an impact.

 “Patients are waiting longer than ever before for operations, in A&E, or for an ambulance. The Conservatives have no plan to keep the staff working in the NHS, no plan to end the crippling strikes, and no plans to reform the NHS.

 “It will be left to the next Labour government to rescue the NHS from the biggest crisis in its history, and renew the service to make it fit for the future.”

Industry experts have also criticised the lack of plans to revitialise the health service in the short-term. Tania Bowers, Global Public Policy Director at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies said: “The workforce plan is long overdue but will take years to have impact. There are shorter term steps that government must consider: standardised compliance checks and onboarding processes across the trusts, primary care and social care, to facilitate efficient, free movement between care settings; reform of the apprenticeship levy to allow reskilling and upskilling of existing staff through flexible, modular training; and a focus on working conditions as well as pay and benefits to remotivate the current workforce.”