In July 2025, the government published its 10 Year Health Plan for England, setting out three major NHS reforms: moving care from hospitals into communities, accelerating the transition from analogue to digital systems, and placing greater emphasis on prevention rather than treatment. The NHS Workforce Alliance is working alongside providers, systems and regions to help achieve these three big shifts.
Workforce planning – having the right workers with the right skills in the right place at the right time
As workforce models adapt to deliver more patient care in the community, our newly launched Health Workforce Solutions framework can support with workforce solutions including design, strategy and establishment planning. The framework can also support sourcing substantive workers in a compliant and cost-effective way as new services like Neighbourhood Health Centres, UTCs and Mental Health EDs are established. With recruitment focusing on local communities, suppliers on the framework can support with talent pooling, recruit/train/deploy and retention targets.
Temporary staffing reduction continues to be a key policy driver at national, regional and local level, with clear annual targets stated in the Medium Term Planning Framework. We have a strong track record in helping reduce bank and agency spend across providers and systems, and we are ideally placed to support with realising efficiencies and meeting targets for temporary staffing. In 2024-25, we helped the NHS reduce agency staffing spend by £384m.
Digital transformation and productivity – achieving the shift from analogue to digital
Digital transformation is central to the plan and is the reason behind the development of our new Workforce Technology Systems framework developed in partnership with NHS England as a compliant route to procure all workforce software systems and digital solutions. It offers access to suppliers that can deliver software and systems, as well as consultancy services to support with digital strategy, systems gap analyses, implementation and change management, customisation and standardisation, and user experience solutions. We are already working with digital leaders across providers and systems, to better understand timelines for transformation, and delivering cost saving solutions.
Our Health Workforce Solutions framework also features suppliers with experience in workforce productivity, enabled and improved by digital transformation and integration.
Training and upskilling – developing skills and expanding capabilities
The Plan also places emphasis on training, wellbeing and retention aiming to have personalised career coaching and development plans, including AI training and digital upskilling, for every member of staff by 2035. The plan aims to completely reform mandatory training, by removing repetitive and irrelevant statutory and mandatory training.
Our Learning and Training Services DPS delivers services across all seven NHS England regions and provides fast and efficient access to both standard and niche training options from a wide range of training providers, that offer both in-person and virtual training delivery methods.
Our Workforce Technology Systems framework can be used to procure learning/performance management and appraisal software, providing digital tools to improve efficiency and productivity.
Workforce wellbeing – taking care of the people who care
The 10 Year Health Plan outlines that providers should embed new staff standards i.e., nutritious food and drink at work, protection from harassment and discrimination, flexible working options.
Our Occupational Health and Employee Assistance Eye Care Services framework provides access to a range of high-quality occupational health services including, but not limited to, occupational health, physiotherapy, health screening, counselling, coaching, vaccination, EAP and eyecare services. Suppliers on this framework can work with you to ensure your workforce is as healthy as can be, improving staff wellness and reducing the NHS sickness rate, as specified in the Medium Term Planning Framework.
Our Workforce Technology Systems framework can help providers implement new digital HR technologies, for things like annual leave, onboarding, management support and payroll.
Our Health Workforce Solutions framework has a key focus on staff retention and strategic workforce models.
Quicker patient care – reducing waiting lists, referral to treatments, discharge to access and ED waiting times
The 10 Year Health Plan aims to continue using private sector capacity to treat NHS patients where available, particularly in disadvantaged areas. There is a particular focus on providers with challenged surgical waiting lists and ED waiting times, and many are being asked to improve care in cancer, heart problems and mental illness.
Our Insourced Services framework enables trusts to procure end-to-end clinical services, helping clear backlogs and reduce waiting times, across a variety of clinical specialties. Since launch in 2022, the NHS Workforce Alliance Insourcing framework has provided additional clinical capacity to over 91 NHS trusts and delivered savings of over £30m.
Our Health Workforce Solutions framework includes a focus on workforce productivity and demand management, helping to drive and achieve efficiencies through new ways of working.
We are here to help deliver the NHS 10 Year Health Plan goals
In a dynamic and changing landscape, the Alliance is ideally placed to support the NHS in delivering the 10 Year Health Plan. We are a partnership between Government Commercial Agency and the four NHS-owned and operated collaborative procurement hubs. We have been working together since 2019 to combine our experience and expertise for the benefit of the NHS. We work closely with NHS colleagues at provider, system, regional and national levels, supporting collaboration and innovation to help deliver quality patient care.
Each NHS region in England has its own dedicated, experienced Alliance regional team who can assist with everything mentioned in this article. To arrange a call, please use the contact form on our website and we’ll be in touch.