This month marked the end of six weeks of evidence gathering by the Government, as it seeks the views and opinions of the healthcare profession on the all-important subject of its people. 

The 10-Year Workforce Plan is designed to map out how ministers will deliver a new workforce model over the next decade. It's seen by many as being pivotal if the Government is to deliver on its promises for the NHS, particularly as the NHS 10-Year Health Plan will require a ‘fundamental shift in the way the NHS deploys, retains and trains its staff'. 

Favouring a ‘call for evidence' over a formal consultation process, the Government now has the task of sifting through examples of best practice, case studies and industry views as it shapes a workforce plan that's set to be unveiled in the spring of next year. 

While we wait to see what detail that will bring, NHS England's Medium Term Planning Framework – the most ‘ambitious in a generation' – has set various workforce commitments that will bridge the gap over the next three years. These include demonstrating progress in reducing sickness absence rates and continuing to reduce agency staffing.

There's a lot to digest for the profession. But one thing is clear: if success is to be achieved, the 1.5m strong workforce must be the cornerstone of any plan. 

So what does that look like?

Fit for the future 

There are four key areas that are vital to the delivery of a successful workforce plan – AI, contract reform and new minimum employment standards, headcount and skills, as well as retention, sustainable recruitment and improved staff experience. When it comes to the latter, there's a real need for the NHS to catch up with the private sector, where employers have been investing in wellbeing and models for flexible working for years. The latest NHS staff survey explains  why – nationally, 30% of staff feel burnt out because of their work, painting a picture of a workforce that's demoralised and demotivated.

Each of the key areas brings its own challenges, but progress across all four could change the face of how the NHS operates in England. 

Top of the list is AI, tech and redesigning roles. Embracing these could create the fundamental shift the Government is looking for when it comes to NHS reform. We're already seeing this in action. Last month, the Department of Health and Social Care announced the largest AI trial of its kind in healthcare which has shown how technology could generate ‘unprecedented' time savings for NHS staff and lead to better care for patients. 

While the NHS estimates the technology could save millions of pounds every month, digital transformation will always come with a word of caution. 

The proliferation of AI has seen a raft of regulations introduced across the world. However, in the UK, the regulation of AI relies on existing legal frameworks such as intellectual property, data protection and contract law, highlighting the growing need for regulators and legal practitioners to adapt these frameworks to address the novel risks and complexities introduced by AI technologies.

All this means there will be no steady state for regulation for some time. Yet, the risk of not complying is significant, both reputationally and financially. 

As such, it's essential that healthcare leaders fully understand the legal and ethical boundaries of AI – if they don't, the consequences could be profound. 

The NHS is not alone in its struggle with skills and retention. Like many industries it has long grappled with finding and keeping hold of the right people with the right skills. 

While technology will play a part in redefining roles and improving productivity, there are large swathes of the NHS that are dependent on good people. 

Plans to establish a new College of Executive and Clinical Leadership will help to define and drive excellence. 

Addressing doctor training bottlenecks, while reducing NHS international recruitment to less than 10% by 2035, will all be critical under the Government's workforce transformation. Perhaps the boldest of them all is the pledge to eliminate agency staffing by 2029, transitioning from agency workers to staff banks, which, the Government estimates could release £1bn over the next five years.

Like the Health Plan for England, there's much to admire about the vision of what healthcare service delivery could look like in 2035. However, as with anything, the devil is in the detail and without that, there's still a lack of clarity about how the workforce plan will be implemented. 

What's already clear is the emphasis will no longer be on increasing headcount. The plan states there will be fewer staff in 2035 than previously planned, but those staff will achieve more. 

The reason? They will have better treatment, better training, more exciting roles and ‘hope for the future'