‘Historic’ 15-year plan to boost NHS workforce

The UK government has announced there will be a major shakeup of the NHS, with an expansion in training places for health staff in England. The 15-year-plan has been called “historic” and will tackle NHS staffing shortages. 

The plan includes more university places for medical and nursing students and a greater emphasis on apprenticeships with the first scheme for doctors. 

There will also be a consultation on whether medical degrees could be shortened by a year. 

The plan does not mention pay but instead focuses on how much training places need to increase. 

At present, half of new doctors and nurses have t be recruited from abroad as the UK supply route has struggled to keep up with demand. 

One out of every 10 posts remains unfilled – more than 110,000 vacancies. If no action is taken, this figure could rise to 360,000 by 2037.