Organisation objective
- NHS Long Term Plan
- NHS Long Term Workforce Plan
Executive summary
This paper provides an update on the progress through early implementation of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) and next steps.
Action required
The Board is asked to note recent activity to implement the LTWP and comment on any specific areas that are of interest or concern.
Detailed assurance is provided via the Board’s Workforce, Training and Education Committee.
Background
1. On 30 June NHS England published the Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP), the first comprehensive workforce plan for the NHS.
2. The LTWP is the most ambitious, far reaching workforce plan ever developed for the NHS. Based on independently verified NHS workforce demand and supply modelling over 15-years with actions to help deliver a sustainable NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of patients.
3. This note provides a brief update on progress since publication.
Considerations
4. We are making progress across the three themes of the LTWP: Train, Retain, and Reform, supported by newly established governance structures to ensure delivery of the actions in the Plan. In particular, the following early accomplishments have been delivered which underpin the longer-term ambitions of the LTWP.
Train
a) Delivery of 205 additional medical school places a year early in 2024/25 is underway, in addition to the existing 7,500 places.
b) 1,106 students recruited to blended learning pilots in nursing to date.
Retain
a) Retention is improving. The latest all staff leaver rate (August 2023) is 8.1%, down for the twelfth consecutive month (from 9.4% in August 2022). That means about 14,000 people who have stayed in their roles in the NHS, caring and delivering for patients.
b) Through the People Promise Exemplar programme we have seen even greater improvement in leaver rates so on 27 November we sought expressions of interest for the next cohort of Exemplar Trusts.
c) Sickness absence is down. The quarterly figure to July is 4.9%, reducing from its peak of almost 6% in 2022, equivalent to 10,000 whole time equivalents.
d) The Government target of 50K more nurses was achieved 6 months early in September, with 51,245 additional nurses compared to September 2019, the largest ever sustained growth in NHS nursing workforce.
e) Several blended learning nursing programmes are showing a significantly low attrition rate between 3.3%-7.7%.
f) The Staff Engagement score (based on 9 questions from the NHS Staff Survey) has improved in each of the last two quarters and is now the highest it has been since January 2022.
Reform
a) Enhancing generalism. 7 regional trailblazers are piloting a new model of generalist skills training. Over 700 learners have undergone the programme, and Generalist skills training for all post-graduation Foundation and core psychiatry trainees commenced in Aug 2023.
b) We continue to make progress towards a 4 year undergraduate medical degree, with a tender to develop a 4 year curriculum issued on 28 November.
c) Following publication of the LTWP, in September the Nursing and Midwifery Council committed to review nursing practice hours by 2025.
d) Working with partners to pilot the medical doctor degree apprenticeship from 2024.
Engaging with partners
7. On 9 November, we held the first LTWP delivery summit to bring together our stakeholders and consider how we will work together to implement the plan and overcome the challenges that we face together. Around 100 organisations, representing the NHS, third sector, social care, Royal Colleges, unions, regulators and other professional bodies attended the summit, sharing what is already working and where we need to work together as a delivery coalition to train, retain and reform the workforce we need now and in the future.
8. Three further events, to develop our approach to delivery across the three strategic themes of the LTWP – Train, Retain and Reform – will be held in the coming months and we look forward to the continuing support and challenge of our partners.
Next steps
9. The next steps in progressing early implementation of the LTWP are to focus on delivery against the plans that we are developing with partners, monitoring progress and risks and communicating our progress.
10. In particular, progress across all three strategic themes over the coming months, will include a focus on:
a) Working with partners to deliver planned expansion of undergraduate medical school training places for 2025, with more medical school places in areas with the greatest shortages;
b) Rapid roll out of the second cohort of the People Promise Exemplar programme, alongside continued focus on improving trainee doctors’ working lives through the Enhancing Doctors Working Lives programme (2023 report published on 29 November);
c) Supporting the Government in its plans to lay legislation for the regulation of Physician Associates and Anaesthesia Associates before Parliament by the end of this year.