A Scottish Government report shaped by the opinions of the country’s doctors has noted their belief in the ‘need to explore and embrace new innovations’ to maintain productivity

The Future Medical Workforce Project: phase 1 report includes findings from a call, issued in August this year, asking for evidence on the potential of innovation and technology.

The call invited contributions from health and social care professionals, academic institutions, innovation networks and medical royal colleges and faculties.

The report also details how over 200 doctors attended focus groups while over 1800 doctors – at all career stages – shared their views through a national survey with the aim being “to shape a workforce that is resilient, adaptive, and forward-looking” across the next 15 to 20 years.

It states: “Despite rising workforce numbers, productivity within the NHS is below pre-pandemic levels.

“There are multiple contributors to this, including the increasing complexity of patients alongside infrastructure and IT issues which hinder efficiency and effective working.

“Increasing the number of doctors, with no other changes, will not solve our problems, and there will be a need to explore and embrace new innovations and opportunities to ensure best care.”

Executive Chair of InnoScot Health, Graham Watson said: “This report clearly underlines the value which doctors see in exploring innovation to support and potentially ease their challenging roles across the next few decades while the shift in focus to preventative medicine continues.

“As a long-standing formal NHS Scotland partner dedicated to identifying and accelerating effective new ideas into clinical adoption, we understand the challenges which clinicians experience and fully back their need for change. Our collaborative ethos is aligned with their views.

“They rightly expect health service demand to grow in future alongside a changing population and believe innovation could provide viable solutions to meaningfully supplement, even enhance, their primary role in giving patients the one-to-one care they need.

“Whilst it is recognised that there are challenges to overcome in implementing the likes of digital technologies and AI, there is an overwhelming desire among doctors to break down those barriers.”

The report noted that moving from illness-focused to prevention-focused care will require organisational, service, and social innovation, adding: “AI and digital technology cannot replace clinicians’ ability to care but can support them to provide this care more effectively and with more time to do so.

“Successful adoption will depend on modern infrastructure, workforce upskilling, and maintaining the human element in care.

“As the NHS continues its journey of reform it is right we consider what the role of the doctor will become, and indeed some of the constraints that exist in supplying the medical workforce, to best inform NHS renewal and service design.”

In terms of future training requirements, “it was suggested by doctors of all grades that innovation or alternative models of delivery might minimise those elements of the job which neither require a doctor nor add value to the training experience”.

Clinical academics cited the vital contribution of the clinical research community in understanding the impact of social and political determinants on health, hand in hand with leading innovation around predictive analytics, genomics, and digital screening tools to support prevention and patient-centred early intervention.

The Scottish Government concluded that the report had offered “rich insights and a strong case for change” with phase 2 of the project commencing in January 2026.