Unpacking the NHS 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance
As organisations across the UK look ahead to the challenges of 2025/26, there is a renewed urgency to rethink how we support, retain, and manage the people who keep our health service running. The latest operational planning guidance published by NHS England has made it clear: improving staff retention, increasing workforce flexibility, enhancing productivity, and reducing reliance on temporary staffing are must-hit objectives, with renewed targets in place to meet over the months ahead.
Yet, in a system already under pressure, how can these goals be achieved in a way that is both sustainable and practical? The key lies in proactive workforce planning, leveraging new approaches and emerging technologies to support both clinicians and the wider objectives of NHS organisations. These challenges are not new, but in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, they serve as a crucial reminder of the NHS’s core workforce priorities.
NHS staffing challenges: Retention, burnout, and workforce shortages
Right now, NHS workforce teams face a delicate balancing act. The demand for care continues to rise, but staffing shortages persist. Burnout and attrition remain stubborn challenges, with many clinicians reporting unsustainable workloads. Meanwhile, financial constraints mean trusts must find ways to reduce expenditure on temporary staffing without compromising patient safety.
The guidance has set ambitious targets to:
- Improve retention by addressing working conditions and career development opportunities
- Increase workforce productivity through a 4% efficiency improvement, by making smarter use of resources
- Expand workforce flexibility, supporting new ways of working, enhanced rostering, and better access to temporary staffing
- Reduce temporary staffing expenditure, minimising reliance on agencies and tightening grip and control on spend
Achieving these objectives in isolation would be challenging enough. But to do so while managing staffing shortages, rising patient demand, and financial pressures makes it clear: the traditional ways of managing the NHS workforce won’t be enough. A fresh approach is needed – one that embraces smarter planning, better technology, and a shift towards proactive workforce management.
The role of data and technology in NHS workforce planning
So what does that fresh approach look like? At its core, workforce transformation isn’t about simply cutting costs or enforcing rigid efficiencies – it’s about building a system that works better for people.
New technologies and data-driven insights are already shaping how NHS teams approach staffing. From intelligent rostering systems that prioritise clinician preferences, to predictive workforce planning tools that help teams anticipate demand before it becomes a crisis, these innovations have the potential to reshape workforce management.
For example, smarter scheduling and leave management systems can reduce the friction that leads to burnout by giving clinicians greater control over their working patterns and making it easier to plan leave in advance, while easy access to real-time data can provide greater visibility over workforce supply and demand. Meanwhile, improved collaboration across trusts – using shared staff banks and better direct engagement models – can reduce reliance on agency staffing while ensuring teams have the flexibility they need.
Future-proofing NHS workforce management in 2025 and beyond
NHS trusts that embrace new ways of working – supported by the right technology and a more flexible approach to workforce planning – will be best positioned to meet the challenges of 2025/26 and beyond. However, this isn’t just about hitting targets; it’s about building a workforce that is sustainable, empowered, and able to provide the best possible care.
By rethinking how staff are supported, retained, and deployed, the NHS can create a system that works for everyone – one where clinicians feel valued, operational teams can plan effectively, and patients receive the very best care.