NHS 10-Year Health Plan: the decade ahead for workforce management
The NHS 10-Year Health Plan arrives as the latest in a series of ambitious blueprints, once again positioning itself as a catalyst for meaningful change, aiming to improve care delivery while reshaping the working environment for its dedicated workforce.
Packed with forward-thinking initiatives, it sets out a future where staff wellbeing, operational efficiency, and the thoughtful use of technology are brought to the forefront. But while the vision is welcome and much-needed, the true test will be in the application. If delivered, this plan represents more than just intention; it offers a real opportunity to build flexible, motivated, and empowered healthcare teams.
Here, we explore how the plan addresses key aspects of workforce management and why, if realised, these changes could help build a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone in the system.
Redefining staff numbers and quality by 2035
By 2035, the NHS staffing landscape is set to look very different. Compared to the projections laid out in the 2023 Long Term Workforce Plan, there will be fewer healthcare professionals in post. However, those who remain will work within an improved environment, one that prioritises how staff are treated, trained and supported throughout their careers.
The focus is clearly shifting from workforce quantity to workforce quality. This means more meaningful career development, stronger day-to-day support, and better recognition of each individual’s contribution. These changes are designed to improve performance and morale, while also ensuring care remains consistent and high quality.
Central to this approach will be the systems that underpin how staff grow, feel valued, and are deployed in ways that match demand. From job planning and appraisals to regular feedback and structured progression, the plan signals a move towards a more intentional, supportive employment experience across the NHS.
Technology has a crucial role to play in this. Digital tools can bring greater transparency to how staff are allocated, ensure rotas reflect individual preferences and capacity, and support continuous development through easier access to appraisals, learning, and feedback. When deployed well, these systems don’t just manage the workforce, they help teams feel seen, supported, and better aligned to service needs.
A shift towards reform and value-based care
The NHS is moving away from a model that prioritises short-term financial goals without addressing the structural challenges that underpin them. In its place comes a value-based approach, one that seeks to maximise outcomes for every pound spent. This marks a significant shift in how decisions are made, with resource allocation and performance measured not by input alone, but by the impact on patient care and staff wellbeing.
To make this shift meaningful, access to accurate, real-time workforce data will be essential. Understanding patterns of staffing, demand, and capacity at both local and system levels can unlock more efficient deployment, reduce gaps in care, and support the shift from reactive to proactive planning. Without this level of insight, efforts to improve outcomes risk falling short.
Technology that enables this, through smarter scheduling, better communication, and agile workforce reporting, will be crucial. These solutions don’t just optimise staffing in the moment; they create a more responsive, transparent foundation for long-term transformation, helping workforce leaders align resources with clinical need and strategic goals.
Flexible work as the new standard
Flexible working is fast becoming a non-negotiable across the NHS, and the plan reinforces this shift. It sets out an approach to reduce reliance on costly extra-contractual work and to eliminate agency staffing altogether by the end of this parliamentary term. The proposed transition of agency workers into staff bank roles promises greater flexibility for clinicians, stronger familiarity for teams, and improved cost efficiency for organisations.
There is real potential in this change, with projected savings of up to £1 billion over the next five years. Crucially, this is money that could be channelled back into frontline services and workforce support.
For clinicians, flexibility has long been tied to better work-life balance, greater autonomy, and a sense of control over schedules. The benefits for patients are just as clear, with more consistent care and stronger staff engagement. It is encouraging to see this direction backed at a national level, and for those of us who have championed flexible working for years, it feels like a long-overdue alignment between policy and practice.
The transition away from agency will require the right infrastructure to make it work in reality. Technology that is built around flexibility, visibility, and ease of use will be essential to making this vision stick and to truly embed new ways of working for the long term.
Staff given smart technology
Technology sits at the heart of the NHS’s latest vision. There is a strong emphasis on workforce management technology, with commitments to reducing administrative burdens so that staff can spend more time with patients. The benefits here are twofold: improving outcomes while helping to ease burnout and stress, promising to reshape both how care is delivered and how teams work behind the scenes. It’s a familiar idea, and one that’s been explored before, but it is refreshing to see it clearly backed by national bodies.
Crucially, this plan recognises that empowering healthcare professionals also means giving them the right tools, not just digitising for the sake of it. We have seen the difference that effective, fit-for-purpose systems can make to staff morale, retention and performance. When technology supports rather than hinders, the impact across an organisation is significant.
Alongside this, the plan places a welcome focus on staff wellbeing and development, from smoother onboarding processes to tackling non-clinical workload. There is a clear shift towards creating a working environment where people feel supported and valued. It is a recognition that long-term sustainability does not just depend on budgets or technology adoption, but on how well the NHS supports the people powering it.
A future of possibility
The NHS 10-Year Health Plan paints a hopeful picture of the future. By harnessing flexible working models, leveraging technology, and investing in its greatest asset, its people, the NHS is positioning itself as a modern employer and a global leader in healthcare innovation.
Achieving these goals will require partnership, collaboration, and a willingness to embrace change. The foundations laid by this plan should pave the way for a sustainable, efficient, and patient-centred NHS.
Whether you’re a workforce leader, manager, or frontline clinician, the time to engage with this transformation is now. Together, we can build an NHS that not only meets the needs of patients but empowers its staff to thrive.
Comments from our CEO and Co-Founder, Dr Anas Nader:
“While ‘doctors in pockets’ and AI diagnostics will grab the headlines, the behind-the-scenes transformation this plan promises to deliver is just as important.
If we are serious about building an NHS ‘fit for the future,’ we urgently need to find ways to maximise operational efficiency and implement new solutions to address age-old problems like staffing and service planning.
That’s why I’m especially pleased to see leaders commit to harnessing digital tools that free up staff time and streamline laborious admin, as well as the focus on offering greater flexibility for clinicians. The test now will be how the government goes about delivering on these pledges.
Goals such as eliminating all external agency spend by the end of this parliament are ambitious, but without a concrete strategy to replace this essential labour, we risk adding to the pressure on overstretched teams and exacerbating the strain on our chronically overburdened health service.”