Open call for evidence

10 Year Workforce Plan - call for evidence document

Published 26 September 2025

Applies to England

Introduction

The NHS stands at a historic crossroads and the choice is stark: continue like this, making tweaks to an increasingly unsustainable model, or take a new course and reinvent the NHS through transformational changes that will guarantee its sustainability for generations to come. The government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England chose the latter.

Drawing from the biggest ever public and staff engagement exercise on the future of the NHS, with over 270,000 contributions received, it set out how we will reinvent our healthcare model with 3 shifts, from:

• hospital to community
• analogue to digital
• sickness to prevention

It also makes clear our ambition to power transformation, including 5 big bets to drive healthcare reform:

• data to deliver impact
• artificial intelligence (AI) to drive patient power, a step change improvement in quality of care and enhanced productivity
• genomics and predictive analytics for pre-emptive, personalised care
• wearables to make care real-time
• robotics to support precision

In 10 years, healthcare will look very different, shaped by the delivery of these 3 shifts, population ageing, the digital revolution and changing attitudes to work.

For the workforce, this means that:

• digital technology and automation will free up clinical time for care
• the NHS will become a modern employer with a new tranche of top-quality leaders
• staff will be supported to reach their full professional potential

The government will deliver this vision for the NHS workforce through the 10 Year Workforce Plan. This forthcoming plan will take a different approach to workforce planning.

Instead of asking ‘how many staff do we need to maintain our current care model over the next 10 years?’, we are asking ‘given our reform plan, and our commitment to a sustainable NHS, what workforce do we need, what should they do, where should they be deployed and what skills do they need to deliver better care for patients and citizens?’

Delivering this vision

Our approach to delivering this vision includes:

Creating a new culture

The development and implementation of new staff standards will make sure staff can stay healthy, work flexibly and feel safe at work. Our NHS staff have waited too long for us to get the basics right, and these standards will be the foundation of a new culture of respect where people have the conditions to thrive and are supported to deliver better quality care.

Building a workforce fit for the future

We will work with employers and education providers to ensure education and training curricula deliver the right skills for trainees. This means they will leave formal training ready to work in a modern healthcare system. Alongside a culture of lifelong learning, we will supply the tools to futureproof the NHS workforce.

Having the right skills in the right places

Providers will increasingly recruit from local communities and support people who are unemployed or economically inactive to take up appropriate roles. Boosting local recruitment will allow the NHS to fulfil its potential as a vehicle for real social change so that our workforce better represents the communities we serve. This will also make sure patients have better access to care locally.

Working in a digital first service

The NHS will provide universal access to the best digital tools and health apps, free at the point of need. Staff will be liberated from bureaucracy through a single sign on, and patients will have access to a ‘doctor in their pocket’ to provide 24/7 advice and guidance.

As we said in the 10 Year Health Plan, healthcare work will look very different in 10 years, and we will need a very different kind of workforce strategy.

This will mean a departure from the 2023 projections in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which were modelled on the system as it was at that time. Instead of a mere numbers game, this workforce plan will focus on getting the right staff in the right places - staff who are better treated, more motivated, have better training and more scope to develop their careers. The NHS will be not only the country’s biggest employer but its best.

Please use this call for evidence to share your views on this vision and to share examples and case studies that will support delivery. We will also hold engagement events to ensure we are listening to expert voices - including experts by experience - every step of the way.

Thank you for taking the time to share your views.

Call for evidence criteria

We are seeking evidence which contributes towards an understanding of:

• the professions, roles and skills, including skills included and emphasised in training curricula, that will be critical to successfully implement the 3 shifts
• how specific professions, roles and skills may be impacted by the implementation of the 3 shifts and the wider policy ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan, while maintaining quality care for patients
• how the 10 Year Workforce Plan can support the government growth and opportunity missions

Respondents will be asked to confirm that they have received the necessary senior clearance to submit on behalf of their organisation.

Any evidence uploaded:

• must not contain information that may identify individuals
• must be analysed and summarised prior to submission as we cannot handle unprocessed data

You can upload multiple documents as part of your submission. However, please be aware that your evidence may be rejected if it does not meet the criteria above.

Call for evidence questions

Demographic questions

About you

In what capacity are you responding to this survey?

• An individual sharing my personal views and experiences
• An individual sharing my professional views
• On behalf of an organisation

Questions for individuals

What is your age?

• Under 18
• 18 to 24
• 25 to 34
• 35 to 44
• 45 to 54
• 55 to 64
• 65 to 74
• 75 or above
• Prefer not to say

Do you currently work in the health and care sector?

• Yes
• No

Have you ever worked for the NHS?

• Yes, I currently work for the NHS
• Yes, I previously worked for the NHS
• No

Question for individuals sharing professional views who don’t work in healthcare or for the NHS

What is your current occupation?

Questions for individuals who work (or have previously worked) in the NHS or another healthcare setting

In which healthcare setting do you work? If you previously worked for the NHS, please tell us about the last setting where you were employed. (Optional)

• Mainly hospital based
• Mainly community based (please select this option if you work in primary care or provide care in patients’ homes)
• Mainly social care
• Other, please specify

What is your occupation or occupational group? If you previously worked for the NHS, please tell us about your occupation or occupational group in the NHS.

• Allied health professional, healthcare scientist, scientific and technical
• Medical and dental
• Ambulance (operational)
• Public health and health improvement
• Commissioning (including commissioning manager and support staff member)
• Registered nurse or midwife
• Nursing or healthcare assistant (including health, clinical and nursing support worker)
• Social care
• Wider healthcare team
• General management (if you are a manager and can choose a group from elsewhere in the list, please select that other occupational group)
• Other, please specify

If you selected ‘allied health professional, healthcare scientist, scientific and technical’, please specify your occupation or occupational group.

• Occupational therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Pharmacy
• Clinical psychology
• Psychotherapy
• Operating department practitioner
• Speech and language therapy
• Other qualified allied health professional, (for example, dietician, podiatrist, osteopath)
• Support to allied health professional (for example, support worker, therapy helper, therapy assistant)
• Other qualified scientific and technical or healthcare scientist (for example, haematologist, clinical biochemist, microbiologist)
• Support to healthcare scientist (for example, technician, assistant or student)
• Other, please specify

If you selected ‘medical and dental’, please specify your occupation or occupational group.

• Consultant
• SAS doctor (specialty doctor, specialist, staff grade or associate specialist)
• GP
• In training (for example, foundation year 1, foundation year 2, core trainee, specialty trainee (including GP))
• Salaried primary care dentist
• Other, please specify

If you selected ‘ambulance (operational)’, please specify your occupation or occupational group.

• Emergency care practitioner
• Paramedic
• Emergency care assistant
• Ambulance technician
• Ambulance control (for example, call handler, dispatcher)
• Patient transport service (for example, ambulance driver, support staff member, patient transport service controller)
• Other, please specify

If you selected ‘registered nurse or midwife’, please specify your occupation.

• Adult or general nurse
• Mental health nurse
• Learning disabilities nurse
• Children’s nurse
• Midwife
• Health visitor
• District or community nurse
• Other, please specify

If you selected ‘social care’, please specify your occupation.

• Social worker
• Social care manager
• Social care support staff member
• Other, please specify

If you selected ‘wider healthcare team’, please specify your occupational group.

• Admin and clerical (including medical secretary)
• Central functions and corporate services (for example, HR, finance, information systems, information technology)
• Maintenance and ancillary (for example, housekeeping, domestic staff, maintenance, facilities, estates)
• Other, please specify

Question for individuals responding in a professional capacity

Which area of England do you work in?

• North East England
• North West England
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• East of England
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• South East England
• South West England
• London
• I do not work in England
• Prefer not to say

Question for individuals responding in a personal capacity

Which area of England do you live in?

• North East England
• North West England
• Yorkshire and the Humber
• East of England
• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• South East England
• South West England
• London
• I do not live in England
• Prefer not to say

Questions for organisations

What is the name of the organisation you are submitting evidence for?

What type of organisation are you responding on behalf of? Select all that apply.

• Business
• Not for profit organisation
• Academic institution
• Public sector body
• Other, please specify

Where does your organisation operate or provide services? Select all that apply.

• England
• Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• The whole of the UK
• Outside of the UK

You will be asked to confirm that you have received clearance from the relevant senior director or equivalent to submit evidence on behalf of your organisation.

Section 1: the 3 shifts

The NHS must change. Our 10 Year Health Plan makes clear our ambition to move from a centralised system to one where patients have greater control over their care and frontline staff are empowered to shape and improve services. We know that those working closest to patients understand best how local services can be delivered.

We want to hear from organisations, clinicians, staff groups and partners who are already driving change at a local level.

We are seeking evidence on how the 3 shifts are being implemented locally, and the impact on your workforce. Where possible, please support your submission with data and measurable outcomes, so we can learn from what is working well and apply those lessons across the NHS.

In this section, please submit evidence of:

• where you have delivered or observed new digital initiatives that improved patient care
• where you have already seen or begun to deliver a shift from hospital-based care to community care
• where you have already seen or begun to deliver preventative care services
• which professions, roles and skills were critical to successful implementation for each example
• any barriers to ensuring the right professions, roles and skills were involved, and how you overcame these barriers

Section 2: modelling assumptions

The workforce we build today will determine whether we can deliver the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan. That means challenging old assumptions, testing new ideas and being honest about what the future demands.

Big changes are coming. Artificial intelligence, breakthroughs in genomics and an ageing population will transform the way care is delivered. We need to capitalise on these shifts now or the NHS risks being left behind.

We need the insight of those who see, every day, what really works for staff and citizens - be that in the NHS, in other sectors or in other healthcare systems around the world. Your evidence will help us build a workforce that is ready, resilient and capable of delivering world-class care.

In this section, please submit evidence of:

• specific assumptions you use in workforce modelling - for example, how service redesign such as new community services or digital models of care might affect the numbers, deployment and/or skill mix of staff
• how that impacts on workforce supply and demand, including career and training pathways

Please provide clear examples and, where possible, support them with data.

Section 3: productivity gains from wider 10 Year Health Plan implementation

In his independent investigation of the NHS in England, Lord Darzi said:

Falling productivity doesn’t reduce the workload for staff. Rather, it crushes their enjoyment of work. Instead of putting their time and talents into achieving better outcomes, clinicians’ efforts are wasted on solving process problems, such as ringing around wards desperately trying to find available beds.

To deliver transformational change we must improve productivity. This does not mean asking staff to work harder, it means changing the way we deploy staff in response to other developments, making it easier for them to do their jobs and bringing back their enjoyment of work.

In this section, please provide evidence of:

• the top digital initiatives you have delivered - in the NHS, other sectors or internationally - that have successfully increased workforce productivity or reduced demand
• actions taken to identify and address gaps in training (pre or post-registration) that support delivery of the 3 shifts
• policies or initiatives that have enabled the NHS to play a bigger role in local communities (for example, widening access, creating opportunities or supporting underserved groups)
• where you have managed changing expectations and increased patient participation in their care through digital tools and, where applicable, you have adjusted workforce planning to reflect this (for example, increased training to deliver new approaches to diabetes management to reflect new digital tools)

Please provide specific examples, supported by data where available.

Section 4: culture and values

The 10 Year Health Plan made it clear that great culture and great leadership go hand in hand with better quality care. When staff feel valued and supported, patients see the benefits.

We are committed to empowering leaders and managers at every level of the NHS to do better - to focus relentlessly on access, experience and outcomes for patients and communities. We know the best ideas often come from those already driving change on the ground.

We want your evidence and experiences on what works in building a positive culture where leadership is strong, the quality of care is high and staff are supported to thrive - and what must change to make that the norm everywhere.

In this section, please provide evidence of:

• policy interventions that have directly improved workforce outcomes and patient outcomes (for example, retention, staff wellbeing, reducing sickness absence, as well as better quality care)
• approaches that have successfully embedded strong core values into everyday leadership, decision making and service delivery
• systems or practices that ensure leaders at all levels actively listen to staff feedback - particularly from underrepresented groups - and act on it

Please provide specific examples, supported by data where available.

Section 5: any additional comments

Please include any other comments, information or evidence you would like to share as part of this call for evidence that you think would help deliver the ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan. (Optional, maximum 250 words.)

How to respond

Please respond using the online survey.

Do not provide personal data when responding to free-text survey questions. Any personal data included will be removed prior to analysis of these responses and will therefore not be considered in future modelling or policies for the 10 Year Workforce Plan.

The call for evidence is open for 6 weeks and will close at 11:59pm on 7 November 2025. If you respond after this date, your response will not be considered.

If you have any queries on this call for evidence, contact 10ywp.engagement@dhsc.gov.uk. Do not send your call for evidence answers, evidence or any personal information to this email address.

Privacy notice

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) privacy notice explains your rights under the Data Protection Act 2019 and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The privacy notice is kept under regular review, and new versions will be available on the DHSC privacy notice page on our website.