Our Response to NHS Workforce Plan
Last Friday (30th June), NHS England published the first NHS Long Term Workforce Plan – a plan developed by the NHS and backed by more than £2.4 billion in government investment.
The NHS intends to use this plan to deliver the biggest increase in training numbers in the 75-year history of the Health Service.
By training record numbers of staff, the NHS aims to address gaps in the current workforce and meet the challenge of a growing and ageing population.
Aims of the Workforce Plan
The Workforce Plan has the following aims:
- Train significantly more staff so we have the right number of doctors, nurses and midwives, GPs, dentists, allied health professionals – such as physiotherapists, pharmacy staff and other staff.
- Retain our dedicated NHS workforce by allowing greater flexibility and career progression and improving culture, leadership and wellbeing, while continuing to focus on equality and inclusion.
- Reform the way we work so healthcare staff have the right multidisciplinary skills and can harness new digital and technological innovations, allowing them to focus on patient care.
AECC UC’s Response to the Plan
Responding to the NHS Workforce Plan, Dr Neil Langridge, Director of Clinical and Rehabilitation Services at AECC University College, said:
“As a specialist Health Sciences University, we welcome the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in principle. We work hard to support the expansion and development of the health workforce by providing demand-led high-quality education and training programmes, and the plan is a significant step in projecting the NHS workforce gaps and growth.
“It is particularly good to see the increased focus on advanced practice and independent prescribing, a commitment towards consultant practitioners (particularly MSK) and that by 2032 every GP will have an FCP in their practice. There is also a commitment to expand apprenticeships and community rehabilitation.
“We recognise that the plan is high level and much of the detail on AHPs needs to be worked through, however AECC University College is well positioned to support its local community and to rise to the challenge as part of Dorset’s ICS and regional systems.”
Head of Academic Enterprise and Engagement, Claire Nadaf, said: “It is great to see more of a focus on workforce retention, transformation and development in the NHS workforce plan.
“The plan demonstrates a commitment to the concept of growing your own workforce, in particular with extensive planned growth of apprenticeships throughout the Nursing and Allied Health workforce.
“The plan is ambitious, and some aspects require thorough planning and partnership working to deliver it.
“Some aspects are contentious; shortening medical degrees has clearly been subject to much debate on social media, for example.
“The growth of the practice educator workforce to support growth in trainees will be essential, alongside the provision of simulation and simulated placements to relieve pressure on clinical placements.
“Sadly, there appears to be little commitment to funding to support the delivery of the plan but hopefully that will follow.”
You can read the NHS Workforce Plan fact sheet here.
