RCR responds to 10-year workforce plan consultation

The 10-year workforce plan is the government’s upcoming NHS workforce strategy.

Its goal is to ensure the NHS has enough staff equipped with the skills they need to complete the NHS reforms promised by the government

The government say this isn’t just about staff numbers. It’s also about what staff are doing and how they will do it.

We have responded to the government’s call for evidence for the 10-year workforce plan. We are glad that the government listened to the sector and agreed to seek input from Royal Colleges and professional bodies.  

The government’s 10-year workforce plan will set out how the NHS will build and support the staff it needs to deliver the promised reforms to the NHS. It’s not only about recruitment – it’s about how staff work and develop their skills. 

We used this opportunity to share data that shows the importance of clinical radiology and clinical oncology and the need to invest in our specialties. We argued that workforce growth is the single most effective lever the government could pull to improve NHS performance and patient care. 

Our main ask for the 10-year workforce plan is that it commits to expanding the clinical radiology and clinical oncology workforces. Moreover, it must state explicitly how many additional radiologists and oncologists will be trained over the next decade.  

We shared the findings of economic modelling commissioned by the RCR, which clearly demonstrates that investing in specialty training will save the NHS money. Compared to outsourcing and global recruitment, investment in training would save the NHS from £85 to £385 million after a decade. With finances so tight, the value of taking this approach should be obvious to policy makers.  

Our submission highlighted other key priorities for the plan. These included the need to: 

• prioritise and champion medical training. 
• invest significant resources into interventional radiology.
• optimise and manage demand for imaging services through. comprehensive workforce planning and the rollout of iRefer.
• reform multidisciplinary team meetings. 
• value and empower medical leadership.  

We also emphasised the fact that artificial intelligence could enhance doctors’ work, but it will never be able to replace the expertise and skill of our members. 

We now expect the 10-year workforce plan to be published in spring 2026. We will monitor its publication and implementation, and we will continue to advocate strongly on your behalf.