Plans to train more British doctors and nurses would reduce the need for foreign staff in the NHS, says Rishi Sunak
- Rishi Sunak said more than 300,000 NHS workers will be employed in coming years
Plans to train more British doctors and nurses would reduce the need for foreign staff in the NHS, the Prime Minister said yesterday.
Britain had to become more self-reliant as international competition for health workers increased, Rishi Sunak added.
According to the NHS staffing plan he unveiled yesterday, more than 300,000 more nurses, doctors and other health service workers are expected to be deployed in England over the next few years.
Mr Sunak said doubling the number of medical school places would help ensure much more homegrown staff in the NHS. The proportion of foreign healthcare workers would fall from 25 percent today to just 10 percent in the next 15 years, he added.
Figures buried in the report show that 57 percent of nurses hired last year were foreign-trained, along with about half of all new doctors.
Plans to train more British doctors and nurses would reduce the need for foreign staff in the NHS, Rishi Sunak said yesterday
The plan has pledged to increase the NHS’s permanent workforce by nearly a million by 2036/2037. It expects an increase from 1.4 million to between 2.2 and 2.3 million
Mr Sunak said boosting the supply of medical staff could also save £10bn on the temporary worker bill.
It came as officials warned that, without action, there could be 360,000 health care job openings by 2037.
But Mr Sunak warned that given the strain on public finances, the £2.4bn cost of the new staffing plan could lead to cuts elsewhere in government.
He told a press conference in Downing Street that governments from all sides have ‘dodged’ the workforce challenge for decades and that ‘overcoming this will not be quick or easy’.
He added: ‘It’s only possible because of the tough decisions we’re making elsewhere to reduce debt and by prioritizing the NHS there will be other things we can’t afford.’
Mr Sunak said the main themes of the plan are ‘educate, retain and reform’.
He declined to say whether the government was willing to find the money needed to fund better wages to end doctors’ strikes.
“Everyone likes being paid more, but I think everyone also recognizes the economic context we’re in,” he said. “It is our job in government to balance those things. That means reducing inflation.’
NHS boss Amanda Pritchard said parts of the plan would quickly benefit patients, but added: ‘This is not an overnight magic wand.’
The number of medical training places will be doubled in 2031/32, bringing the total number of places to 15,000. GP training places in England for junior doctors will also increase by 50 per cent to 6,000, NHS staffing plan has pledged
Officials have asked the General Medical Council (GMC) and medical schools for consultations about introducing four-year medical degrees, which currently last five years, and medical internships, which would allow students to start work six months early. Some medical staff could also work as apprentices.
Mr Sunak said more staff in new roles would allow senior staff to focus on the most complex cases. For example, nurses will bridge the gap between care assistants and nurses.
Labour’s health spokesman Wes Streeting said: ‘They should have done this 10 years ago, then the NHS would have enough staff today.’
NHS radiographers performing duties including X-rays and CT scans could leave next month along with medics, the Society of Radiographers said when it confirmed a successful pay strike vote yesterday.
Up to 43 trusts across England could be affected by the union action, opening the door to a possible joint strike with junior doctors who will be out for five days from July 13 to 18.