Workforce

Workforce is one of the RCP’s three campaigning pillars.

A strong NHS depends on a strong medical workforce. Yet physicians are working under intense pressure, burnout remains high, and too many doctors are unable to access the training opportunities they need to build their careers.

The RCP is campaigning for long-term investment in the medical workforce, reform of postgraduate medical training, and better support for the next generation of physicians. We believe every patient benefits from access to highly trained doctors, whose clinical expertise, judgement and leadership are essential to delivering safe, high-quality care.

What we're doing

We are calling for:

  • a dedicated, regularly updated workforce strategy, supported by independently verified modelling of the workforce needed to meet population need and address health inequalities
  • continued expansion of medical school places and specialty training posts
  • a pathway that guarantees progression from medical school through to specialty training
  • better support and career opportunities for resident doctors and clinical academics.

We have welcomed the national medical education and training review, which followed longstanding RCP calls for reform. Many of our recommendations were reflected in the phase 1 diagnostic report, and we continue to influence the next phase of the review.  In our response to the government’s consultation on the 10 Year Workforce Plan for England, we have called for meaningful engagement with doctors and royal colleges on the ideas and assumptions that underpin this work.

We are also making the case that while digital tools and AI can support healthcare, they cannot replace doctors' expertise, clinical judgement or patient relationships.

RCP COPM Tuanku Nazrin Travelling Fellowship Edit

Our next generation campaign

Our next generation campaign is a resident doctor-led initiative focused on improving the quality, fairness and experience of medical training. Through surveys, member engagement, events and national influencing, we are ensuring that the voice of resident doctors is helping to shape the future of medical training and the physician workforce.

Explore our case studies and campaign resources

Explore our work

Blog
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 3

Training cannot be something that happens only when the NHS has time

Reflecting on the findings of the RCP’s report Training physicians for the future, resident doctors Dr Alice Cole and Dr Áine Corry argue that training can no longer be treated as something that happens around service delivery. In this next generation blog, they make the case for a training system built around protected learning time, continuity, high-quality supervision and the recognition that investing in training is ultimately an investment in patient care.
Blog
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 4

Why protecting medical expertise matters for patients

Reflecting on the findings of the RCP’s report Training physicians for the future, Resident Doctor Committee (RDC) deputy chair Dr Max Thoburn argues that the future NHS depends on doctors developing both broad generalist capabilities and deep specialist expertise. In this next generation blog, he makes the case for protecting the opportunities to develop clinical judgement, procedural skills and decision-making that patients rely on when they are most in need within an ever more stretched NHS.
News
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 1

Medical training quality should be scrutinised as closely as patient safety, says RCP

The quality of medical training should be measured and scrutinised as seriously as NHS finances, operational performance and patient safety, according to a major new report published today by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
Blog
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 2

There’s no single career pathway through medicine

Reflecting on the findings of the RCP’s report Training physicians for the future resident doctors Dr Laura Bannon and Dr Sacha Moore argue that postgraduate medical training has not kept pace with the realities of modern medicine. In this next generation blog, as more doctors pursue flexible careers, academic opportunities and non-linear training pathways, they make the case for a system that recognises capability wherever it is developed and prepares physicians for the future.
Blog
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 2

The case for training reform has been made – it’s time for action

Reflecting on the findings of the RCP’s report Training physicians for the future, elected RCP councillor Dr Patrick Davey argues that the challenges facing postgraduate training are already well understood – the real test is whether the NHS can deliver meaningful change. In this next generation blog, he sets out why medical training must be protected, measured and prioritised across the system if the NHS is to provide the education that future doctors need.
Blog
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 3

Good training should not depend on luck

Reflecting on the findings of the RCP’s report Training physicians for the future, resident doctors Dr Stephen Joseph and Dr Alexandra Pain argue that we know what good medical training looks like. The challenge is ensuring it is delivered consistently. In this next generation blog, they make the case for stronger accountability and a training system that is monitored, measured and improved with the same seriousness as patient safety, workforce and operational performance.
Blog
14/10/26
Training Physician Toolkit 3

The future NHS depends on the doctors we train today

Reflecting on the findings of the RCP’s report Training physicians for the future, RCP president Professor Mumtaz Patel and RCP vice president for education and training Dr Dan Furmedge argue that medical training should be viewed not as a cost to be managed, but as an investment in patient safety, workforce sustainability and the future of healthcare. In this next generation blog, they make the case that the real risk lies not in reforming training, but in failing to do so.
Blog
12/10/26
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We cannot keep asking doctors to be more resilient

In our latest next gen blog, RCP medical workforce director Dr Stella George draws on a recent Clinical Medicine article to explore what the UK and Australia can teach us about resident doctor wellbeing, and why addressing burnout requires more than resilience training.
Blog
07/10/26
Blog 720X500px Web

Finding momentum: my journey into SAS leadership

Leadership is not always about having a clear plan. During SAS Week 2026, RCP SAS regional representative for the East Midlands Dr Laura Anthony reflects on finding momentum in her career, developing as a leader and advocating for the SAS workforce.