Britain’s health secretary, Yvette Cooper, told MPs on November 4 that artificial intelligence could mean the National Health Service in England needs fewer staff in some areas. Giving evidence to the House of Commons health committee, she said the technology “will lead to us wanting to increase certain areas but also to potentially reduce certain areas as well.” She named no jobs and announced no cuts. She also confirmed that the 10-year workforce plan, which will set how many doctors, nurses and other staff the health service trains and hires, has been delayed again and will now arrive in the new year, with no date. Cooper said predicting staff needs is much harder than it was two or three years ago.

The direction she described moves people away from hospitals. She told the committee she wants more emphasis on family doctors and community mental health care, and less on the hospital workforce over time. Practice nurse leaders complained that nurses were left out, and the Royal College of Nursing had already asked in June for the plan to be paused, arguing that it counted on AI savings without enough evidence. A separate independent review of NHS productivity and AI, led by Mark Bailie, a non-executive director of NHS England, is due in early 2027. Cooper suggested giving universities and training colleges clearer signals about where staff are needed, but for now they must plan student places without the official numbers.