Editorial: The NHS workforce plan (BMJ, 11 July 2023)

Summary

The government’s long term workforce plan, developed by NHS England, was finally published on 30 June, having first been promised more than five years ago by the then secretary of state for health and current chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. The plan is a welcome and necessary step towards solving the workforce challenges that have vexed the health service, although it is more of a jigsaw puzzle than a masterplan. The overall picture of a future NHS workforce with many more staff, increasingly working in more diverse multidisciplinary teams, and with greater support from technology, is encouraging but several pieces are missing from the vision and roadmap for its delivery, writes William L Palmer and Rebecca Rosen in this BMJ Editorial.