Newly approved plans could see nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals being trained to fill in for doctors in England.
A report by the Nuffield Trust says equipping NHS nursing, community and support staff with additional skills to deliver care is the best way to develop the capacity of the health service workforce.
But the Patients Association has warned against the plans being used as a "quick fix" and say they should not be seen as a cheaper alternative to hiring highly qualified staff.
Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said: "These proposals will not solve the shortage of skilled doctors and nurses across the health service and should not aim to do so.
"Instead, the Government needs to do more to invest in the training and retaining of these qualified practitioners."
The Nuffield Trust was told to examine how best NHS staffing can be reorganised - and it found the best way to "grow" the workforce is by expanding the skills of those already employed.
Report author Candace Imison, director of policy at the health think-tank, said: "Our research shows that reshaping the NHS workforce can offer huge opportunities - for patients, through improved health outcomes, and for staff, through more rewarding roles and better career pathways.
"But we stress in our report that this is not simply a 'nice to do' - it is urgent, and essential if the health service is to find a sustainable balance between available funding, patient needs and staff needs, and deliver services fit for the 21st century."
Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy for NHS Providers, said: "Today's report rightly makes it clear that this is not just about training more staff, or even about creating new roles, it is also about developing, training and equipping the existing workforce, especially the vast non-medical workforce.
"This should result in a more stable substantive workforce with reduced reliance on temporary staff and outsourcing."
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