The NHS will undergo a series of changes over the coming 15 years, ministers have revealed.
From training nurses and doctors on the job, to making significant increases to the number of university places for hopeful medical students, the proposed workforce plan hopes to tackle staffing shortages across the NHS.
However, the plan has been widely critisied by leaders in the medical space who have suggested that the “dismal reality” of working for the NHS could put people off from the get-go and cause further issues for retention.
"There is a risk that we will feed more and more people into training, only to burn them out ever faster," says Dr Billy Palmer, senior fellow in Health Policy at the Nuffield Trust.
Mr Sunak says the move will "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".
"[It] won't be quick or easy", he adds.
"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.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard described the plan as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put staffing on a sustainable footing for years to come".
What does the workforce plan entail?
Here’s some key takeaways from what Rishi Sunak is describing as "one of the most significant commitments" he will make as prime minister:
Two-fold increase on medical school places for student doctors (15,000 in total)
GP trainee places for junior doctors will go from 4,000 to 6,000
Further nurse and midwife student opportunities (24,000 increase)
More than 10,000 training places for nursing associates by 2031 (double the current number)
Training places for physician associates to increase to 10,000 by 2036
These targets are expected to be achieved by 2031.
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