NHS workforce plan: ‘Social care is left out in the cold’

Today Rishi Sunak took to the stand to announce the long-awaited NHS workforce plan in a bid to address the major staffing issues that plague almost all NHS services.

Announced today, Mr Sunak’s main focus was on introducing the plan to train thousands more doctors and nurses in England every year. The Prime Minister pledged that the number of places in Medical schools will rise from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2028 and could reach 15,000 by 2031.

In addition to this, there will also be a big expansion in training places for those who want to become nurses, with the number rising by a third to 40,000 by 2028 – matching the number of nurses the health service currently lacks.

Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of NHS England, who jointly announced the new plan alongside Rishi Sunak, called the decision a ‘once in a generation opportunity to put staffing on a sustainable footing for years to come.

The new workforce plans also includes:

• A 50% increase in GP trainee places for junior doctors
• 24,000 more nurse and midwife student places a year – close to double the number now
• A consultation to be launched on whether the current five-year medical degree can be shortened by a year

However, doubts about how soon this plans will be put into motion arose when it emerged that medical schools will not start admitting the extra students until September 2025. The department of Health and Social Care did not respond to a request to clarify when universities would begin educating the promised 10,000 extra would-be nurses a year.

Official NHS figures show that the number of vacancies in the service in England have almost quadrupled from the 21,351 seen in March 2010 to the 112,498 recorded at the last count. That included 8,549 doctors and 40,096.

Although, staff retention rates are at an all-time low in the social care sector, but they were failed to be mentioned within today’s speech. A recent survey of 95 care providers finds 80% using more agency workers than in 2021, with 90% finding them harder to secure, amid the widening staff crisis.

Dr. Charles Armitage , CEO and founder of Florence and former NHS doctor, said: ‘The long-awaited publication of the NHS workforce plan for the next 15 years will bring some relief to many healthcare professionals. At face value, the plan is good and ambitious. The recognition of the significant challenges healthcare professionals is facing across the sector is a welcome step for the future of the NHS, although once again the topic of social care seems to be left out in the cold.  

‘There is no doubt that staff shortages are the single biggest threat to global healthcare. High vacancy rates are fuelling long wait times, burnout, and ultimately driving the existing workforce out – all in search of less pressure and better pay. Our recent Health and Social Care Staff Cost of Living Report revealed that two thirds (63%) of nurses, carers and healthcare workers were forced to choose between food and fuel this winter to combat rising energy bills, while one in five (19%) say they have started using food banks since the cost-of-living crisis started.

‘More must be done to ensure retention of staff in the NHS – training, development and flexibility is a start but ultimately, it needs to be supported by better industry pay.’

Image: Red Dot