Prime minister sets out plans to train more NHS staff

The government has unveiled new plans to help boost the NHS workforce

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set out plans to help boost the National Health Service (NHS) workforce in England by 300,000 people.

He says the plans, which will cover the next 15 years, will see more doctors and nurses trained up through apprenticeships.

The prime minister also said the number of places available for students to train as doctors and nurses will be doubled by 2031.

As part of the plans, a consultation on whether medical degrees, most of which are five years long in the UK, could be shortened by a year will be launched.

What has Mr Sunak said?

Mr Sunak said the 15-year plan would "deliver the biggest ever expansion in the number of doctors and nurses that we train, and a plan to reform the NHS so we deliver better care in a changing world".

But he said overcoming the challenges of an overstretched workforce "won't be quick or easy".

"We're making the tough calls, and doing things differently, to protect the long-term future of the NHS and this country," Mr Sunak said.

The plan has been described as "historic" by NHS leaders, although Steve Barclay, who is the health secretary, said patients won't see some of the benefits for a several years.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the government's plans for the NHS during a press conference on Friday

Some people have said poor working conditions in the NHS could impact the success of the government's plans.

It's one of the big factors which has led to lots of health professionals striking over the last few years, with both doctors' and nurses' strikes taking place in the last few months.

The prime minister said conditions will improve in order to help increase the numbers of healthcare staff who stay in the NHS.

However, pay - which is one of the biggest reasons for the recent strikes - hasn't been mentioned in the new 15-year government plan.

When asked about wages for healthcare workers, the prime minister said: "everyone would like to get paid more... but I think everyone also recognises the economic context that we're in".

What have people said about the plan?

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard said the plan gave "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put staffing on a sustainable footing for years to come".

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said ministers had copied Labour's plan and said the government waited to long to act.

"There is a reason why the NHS is understaffed, and it's the lack of a workforce plan for the last 13 years," he said.

The Liberal Democrats said the plan had come "too late" for the millions of people who had suffered in pain or died in hospital corridors waiting for treatment.

Why is staffing such a big issue in the NHS?

Thousands of junior doctors went on strike earlier this year over pay and working conditions

The NHS doesn't have enough healthcare staff at the moment. Health professionals include doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists, radiographers, physios and psychologists.

There are currently more than 110,000 available jobs and one out of every 10 posts isn't filled. It means there's lots of pressure on existing NHS staff and this also affects the care patients receive.

Half of new doctors and nurses have to be recruited from abroad as there aren't enough staff in the UK to keep up with demand.

Without action, NHS vacancies could rise to 360,000 by 2037, the government estimates.

To help achieve the goals, it's promised to invest £2.4 billion over the next five years.

Is it enough?

Many have welcomed the ambitious plan but point out that to be successful it needs enough people wanting to have a career in healthcare.

Lots of people want to train to be doctors but the amount of people applying for nursing degrees is falling according to universities.

Another big issue the government has is the number of healthcare staff who are leaving the NHS.

Last year, more than 40,000 nurses left the NHS.

There will efforts to stop this happening by making more flexible working options and offering career development.

But pay is not part of the plan and many people say that it is a big factor in keeping staff.