Workforce planning for ENT services in the UK: challenges and future directions

BACKGROUND: Strategic workforce planning is essential for equitable, high-quality healthcare. ENT services currently hold the second-longest NHS waiting list, with over 638,000 outstanding appointments, underscoring the urgency of accurate workforce planning. METHODS: Data were collected across all 135 NHS trusts providing ENT services. Information was collated on consultants, associates, locally employed doctors (LEDs), trainee residents, fellows, advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) and physician assistants (PAs). For consultants, subspecialty interest, working patterns, age and contract type were recorded. RESULTS: The UK ENT workforce comprised 1207 consultants (mean 1.77 per 100,000 population), with an over two-fold regional variation. On average, there were 1.29 second-on-call residents and 1.17 first-on-call residents per 100,000 population, with considerable regional variation. CONCLUSION: The UK ENT workforce demonstrates marked geographic and subspecialty imbalances with looming retirement risks. Targeted recruitment and retention initiatives, subspecialty redistribution and training capacity adjustments are critical to address current shortfalls and meet future service demands.