Workforce: RCP demands immediate action and plan to keep NHS running

The government must commit to publishing a long term NHS workforce plan by the end of this year or face long waiting times becoming normal, the Royal College of Physicians of London has warned.In a new policy paper the RCP said that a long term plan for increasing staff numbers and expanding medical school places was vital.1 Given the urgency of the situation, the RCP also set out a range of short to medium term solutions (box 1) that the government must implement now to keep the NHS running, ranging from affordable childcare and flexible working to overseas recruitment and a new “retire and return” deal for consultants.Box 1RCP’s short and medium term solutions for boosting NHS workforceActions to increase staff numbersEnsure overseas staff who wish to work in the NHS are supported in doing soRegulate physician associates by mid-2024 and give them prescribing rights in 2025Develop staff, associate specialist,…
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