Today, the Prime Minister has launched the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. It’s a massive plan with three main ambitions.
To train more staff we will:
- Double medical school training places to 15,000 per year by 2031, with more places in areas with the greatest shortages.
- Increase the number of GP training places by 50% to 6,000 by 2031.
- Almost double the number of adult nurse training places and add 24,000 more nurse and midwife training places by 2031.
To retain more staff we will:
- Introduce modern pensions so that staff can return to work seamlessly.
- Make it easier for staff to move between different NHS organisations.
- Fund professional development and occupational health services.
- Add more flexibility for newly retired doctors to re-join the NHS.
And to modernise the way the NHS works, we will:
- Increase the number of medical apprenticeships.
- Use the latest technology to save time for patients and clinicians.
- Speed up training to get staff from classroom to clinic more quickly.
Together, these changes will mean that by 2037, there are at least 170,000 more nurses, 60,000 more doctors, and 71,000 more healthcare professionals working in the NHS.
