The Operating Theatre Journal - Flipbook - Page 13
NHS Workforce Plan missing core
elements to address the immediate crisis
Responding to latest reports on the details
expected in the NHS Workforce Plan, the
Association of Professional Staffing Companies
(APSCo) has warned that short-term solutions
are needed to supplement the long-term
strategy if the healthcare crisis is to be
alleviated.
Commenting on the plan, Tania Bowers,
Global Public Policy Director at APSCo said:
“We welcome the focus on training many more
doctors, nurses and affiliated skills but as
the Prime Minister has already alluded to, it
could take 15 years to have a real impact. The
NHS is in crisis and needs immediate action to
alleviate this.
“Increasing training and diversifying routes
into healthcare employment will only be
effective if people choose to practice their
profession in the NHS and build a career within
it. The NHS is struggling with extreme worker
dissatisfaction, as evidenced by strike action
and demotivation, not helped by recent OECD
data evidencing that the UK has the lowest
ratio of practising doctors per 1,000 people.
“The UK needs to show it has a globally
competitive healthcare sector that people
want to work in. Reducing the reliance on
globally trained healthcare professionals
during a staffing shortage isn’t viable.
“Clear leadership and ownership is needed
by government and NHS employers to cut
the red tape, which would deliver immediate
results. An example is the lack of conformity
around pre-hiring compliance and safety
checks of permanent and agency staff which
is contributing to the increased costs and
delays of getting nurses and doctors in front
of patients. A specialist, compliant to work
for a Trust hospital under one CCG, may
not necessarily be so at another hospital or
primary care centre that operates under the
same group, meaning there is minimal agility
or responsiveness in workforce management.
“One aim of the reform is to reduce NHS
providers’ reliance on agency workers,
currently critical to fill resourcing gaps.
Members report these gaps are partly created
by staff choosing to leave the service and
work as locums or to reduce their permanent
hours to supplement pay through better
paid agency work, a necessity for them due
to the surging cost of living. Rather than the
agencies driving the demand, it is candidates
choosing to work this way, reducing the access
the NHS providers have to staff directly. In
any workforce as complex as the NHS there
will always be a need for agency workers and
government must recognise the sector as part
of a well-managed solution.
“The workforce plan is long overdue but
will take years to have impact. There are
shorter-term steps that government must
consider: standardised compliance checks
and onboarding processes across the trusts,
primary care and social care, to facilitate
efficient, free movement between care
settings; reform of the apprenticeship levy
to allow reskilling and upskilling of existing
staff through flexible, modular training; and a
focus on working conditions as well as pay and
benefits to remotivate the current workforce.”
Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail admin@lawrand.com
Issue 394
Cromwell Hospital launches
new consultant-led private
Urgent Care Centre
Cromwell Hospital is proud to announce the
opening of our new consultant-led private
Urgent Care Centre.
Located in South Kensington, the Urgent Care
Centre provides adult patients with rapid
access to treatment for illnesses and injuries,
365 days a year.
The centre operates a walk-in service for
patients over 18 years of age, no appointment
or referral necessary.
If preferred, patients can also call to book a
same-day appointment or be referred by their
GP or consultant.
The consultants at the Urgent Care Centre
are specially trained in emergency medicine,
with experience working in emergency
departments across the country.
Where necessary, they can refer patients to
specialists at the hospital for ongoing care.
As a leading healthcare provider, Cromwell
Hospital is equipped with the latest
technology to ensure accurate diagnoses and
effective treatment.
Our friendly and compassionate staff guide
patients through every step of their visit,
from check-in to follow-up care.
The Urgent Care Centre is open every day
from 8am to 8pm.
Find out more about the Urgent Care Centre:
https://www.cromwellhospital.com/servicesspecialties/urgent-care/
July
2023
13