GPs invited to share views to inform ‘refreshed’ NHS workforce plan
GPs have been invited to share their views to inform the development of a ‘refreshed’ NHS workforce plan for the next 10 years.
The Government has launched a call for evidence from healthcare organisations and those with expertise in workforce planning to inform the plan.
It was announced at the end of last year, when health secretary Wes Streeting said the Government would rework the current NHS workforce strategy, published in 2023, and committed to publishing a refreshed NHS Workforce Plan.
According to the 10-year plan for the NHS published in July, this workforce strategy will include ‘fewer staff than projected’ by 2035.
The Government said: ‘The plan will build on the 10-year plan to set out how we will deliver a new workforce model with staff who are aligned with the future direction of reform and have real hope for the future.
‘Rather than a formal consultation on specific proposals, this call for evidence is an opportunity to provide views on the government’s plans for the next decade and to share examples and case studies that will support delivery.’
The Government wants to hear from anyone with relevant evidence, including:
- trade unions
- royal colleges
- employers
- charities
- those with expertise by experience
They are seeking evidence which contributes towards an understanding of:
- the professions, roles and skills, including skills included and emphasised in training curricula, that will be ‘critical to successfully implement’ the 10-year plan
- how specific professions, roles and skills may be impacted by the implementation of the 10-year plan, while maintaining quality care for patients
- how the workforce plan can support the Government ‘growth and opportunity missions’
Respondents will be asked to confirm that they have received the necessary senior clearance to submit on behalf of their organisation.
The call for evidence opened on Friday last week and will close on 7 November.
The 10-year plan said that over the next three years, it will create 1,000 new specialty training posts ‘with a focus on specialties where there is greatest need’ and pledged to prioritise UK medical graduates and ‘doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period’ for specialty training.
The plan also said the Government will ‘reorientate the focus of NHS recruitment away from its dependency on international recruitment, and towards its own communities – to ensure sustainability in an era of global healthcare workforce shortages.
It comes after the BMA backed a proposal to prioritise UK medical school graduates over international medical graduates (IMGs) for training posts at their national conference earlier this year.
