To support development of its 10 Year Workforce Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care put out a call for evidence in September, to contribute to its understanding of:
- The professions, roles and skills that will be critical to successfully implement the three shifts;
- How specific professions, roles and skills may be impacted by the implementation of the three shifts and the wider policy ambitions of the 10 Year Health Plan, while maintaining quality care for patients;
- How the 10 Year Workforce Plan can support the government growth and opportunity missions.
The government’s approach to delivering its vision for health includes:
- Creating a new culture: developing and implementing new staff standards to ensure staff can stay healthy, work flexibly and feel safe at work.
- Building a workforce fit for the future: working with employers and education providers to ensure education and training curricula deliver the right skills for trainees in a modern healthcare system.
- Having the right skills in the right places: recruiting from local communities and supporting people who are unemployed or economically inactive to take up appropriate roles.
- Working in a digital first service: providing universal access to the best digital tools and health apps, free at the point of need.
Working with our members, we have developed and submitted a Shelford Group response, drawing on examples from across the country. Our examples demonstrate how Shelford members are already making strong progress in delivering on the government’s mission: providing high-quality digitally enabled care, transforming clinical pathways to deliver care closer to home, and equipping staff with skills needed for the future.
Our examples include:
- Minder Care, cutting edge technology being used by Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to help keep people living with dementia safe in their homes. Using a network of sensors installed in the home, this nurse-led monitoring service helps to spot signs of changes in health needs and potentially reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.
- DNAPredict, a tool developed by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust within their EPR system that helps predict whether patients are likely to attend their outpatient appointment. Each appointment is given a risk score, and by flagging this score early, teams can reach out to patients and help remove any barriers. This might include confirming that an interpreter will be available, helping to arrange transport, or providing information in an accessible format.
- Shelford Surgical Training in Assisted Robotic Technology (START), a Shelford Group programme to be launched this autumn, aimed at expanding surgical robotics training to earlier stage trainees and equipping them with the skills they need for the future. The programme is a tangible step to supporting delivery of the 10 Year Health Plan, particularly in relation to its fifth ‘big bet’ – robotics for efficiency and automation.
- Using data to improve staff engagement at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, through the analysis of NHS Staff Survey data alongside other feedback mechanisms and sources of information to understand what motivates and supports its people. This work helps to inform its staff engagement strategy and ensures that staff voices are heard in decision-making. This ongoing cycle of engagement has resulted in improvements across its NHS Staff Survey results, with UCLH being one of the highest scoring trusts in the country.
Read our full submission to the Ten Year Health Plan consultation here.