If the NHS is to futureproof its workforce and ensure all its staff are appropriately trained and developed to deliver high quality care, Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) teams need to think differently and act differently. Martin Stanford and Ryan Campbell, ask how Trusts can help PGME departments drive excellence in the training and development of the NHS workforce.
As the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday, pressure on its workforce continues to grow and is an issue that is increasingly being recognised by Health Education England (HEE) as part of current NHS policy. This is demonstrated in the latest HEE workforce consultation paper, which repeatedly emphasises that developing, improving and transforming the workforce ‘requires collaboration between organisations’
The current demands on Trust administration and PGME departments are significant. At the base level, Trusts need to ensure they have the right level of appropriately trained staff capable of delivering patient care to the expected standards – now and in the future. Alongside this, they must effectively administer all the ongoing needs of their workforce; induction, time and attendance, scheduling, leave administration, quality visits, statutory training and much more. It’s a crucial role, central to effective workforce planning.
However, the function has traditionally operated in isolation, its work typically underpinned by software and tools that are separate from other IT systems used in hospitals. In many Trusts, workforce data has typically been captured and managed via spreadsheet, presenting risks that include data errors, duplication and time-consuming paper-based processes – and obvious operational limitations caused by a lack of data visibility.
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