The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation on its proposed 10-year workforce plan — an important opportunity to shape the future of the NHS and ensure it remains sustainable, resilient, and able to meet growing patient demand.

At OpenPredictor, we welcome this consultation and particularly the recognition that digital and data will be critical enablers of workforce sustainability. The NHS workforce faces increasing pressures — from rising demand and an ageing population to persistent elective backlogs and workforce shortages. A credible long-term plan must go beyond recruitment and retention. It must also focus on how the right tools can support professionals to deliver care more effectively.

The role of AI-enabled medical devices

Our work with NHS partners has demonstrated that AI-driven tools can have a meaningful impact on workforce productivity and patient outcomes. Specifically, platforms such as OpenPredictor can:

• Reduce administrative burden by providing rapid, risk-informed decision support.
• Ensure patients are aligned to the right pathway first time, helping avoid unnecessary delays and rework.
• Streamline pre-operative assessment by stratifying patients according to risk, freeing up specialist teams to focus on complex cases.
• Improve theatre efficiency by reducing avoidable last-minute cancellations.

Each of these improvements directly supports clinical teams, enabling them to spend more time on patient care and less on process management.

Digital confidence is key

For digital solutions to deliver on their promise, staff must feel confident in using them. That means embedding training, governance, and validation into every stage of adoption. At OpenPredictor, we design with clinicians and for clinicians — ensuring that tools are trusted, intuitive, and safe. This collaborative approach not only builds confidence but also accelerates adoption and integration into everyday practice.

Building the workforce of the future

We believe a sustainable workforce plan must place digital transformation at its core. Recruitment and training alone cannot close the gap between demand and capacity. Intelligent use of AI and med-tech innovation offers a way to support staff, reduce pressure, and improve care quality simultaneously.

The DHSC consultation is therefore an important moment. We encourage all colleagues across the system — clinicians, leaders, innovators, and patients — to contribute to this process. By shaping a workforce plan that is both resilient and digitally confident, we can build an NHS that is fit for the future.