RCN urges government to pause NHS workforce plan over staff shortages and AI

The RCN has called on the Westminster government to pause the publication of its upcoming workforce plan for the health service in England over concerns it fails to address unsafe conditions and rising demand, and overstates the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) without adequate evidence or safeguards.

Joining with other organisations representing over a million NHS staff, the RCN has written to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray MP, to warn him more engagement needs to happen with professional bodies and unions to ensure robust safeguards are in place.

In the joint letter, we warned persistent workforce shortages, rising demand, increasing complexity of care and an ageing population are creating unsafe and unsustainable conditions across the NHS. We believe the current direction of the workforce plan “falls significantly short of the scale of workforce growth required to meet patient need”.

Along with the British Medical Association, Society for Acute Medicine, Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing and Unite, we raised concerns about the plan’s expected reliance on AI and digital technology. Assumptions about these tools “risk overstating near-term productivity gains without sufficient evidence or safeguards”.

We also warned the plan could overestimate how much the government’s projected shift to the community will reduce demand for services elsewhere, and therefore risks underestimating the need for workforce growth across all sectors.

We stressed that while AI may support some efficiencies, it cannot replace trained clinical staff, and we’re calling for a fully funded, evidence-based workforce strategy to ensure patient safety.

Commenting on the joint letter, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger, said: “Rising demand, ever more complex need and an ageing population are causing chaos in the NHS, with hospitals facing overwhelming pressure and staff increasingly struggling to keep patients safe.

“Evidence-based, fully funded workforce planning that ensures there are the right number of vital, life-saving staff in place couldn’t be more needed. But we are increasingly concerned the upcoming plan will not reflect the daily reality that staff face and will instead erroneously rely on AI and digital technologies to boost productivity and avoid the need for investment in the workforce. This would be a disaster for patients.

“By joining forces with other colleagues across the health service in demanding a pause in the publication of the workforce plan, we have proven there is unity across the health service in the belief that staffing levels must rise appropriately to meet patient demand.

“The newly appointed Secretary of State has a pivotal opportunity to apply the brakes and think again. More detailed and meaningful engagement with the expert organisations and vital NHS staff who are standing ready to make this plan a success, will be critical for ensuring the safety of patients for generations to come.”