Delivering tomorrow’s skilled NHS workforce starts today.

Hard-working healthcare professionals are the bed-rock of the NHS, and for them, the reports on long-term workforce planning in healthcare from NHS England and NHS Education for Scotland last year made grim reading. The stress levels and lack of staff within the service were quantified, and the requirement for steps for better retention, recruitment and education highlighted. The proposals to develop NHS staff , and retain the current workforce by improving culture, leadership, wellbeing and training were broadly welcomed by those directly responsible for care delivery. although reform of traditional working roles and routes into the professions were viewed more cautiously and await proof of concept.

Irrespective of the politics of healthcare, one thing is clear: ensuring the education and training of the current workforce is key to effective succession-planning. Upskilling those currently in post, through effective, time-efficient training programmes is the best route to developing trainers to deliver much-needed workforce expansion, while they also address the ongoing shortfalls of post-pandemic patient care. This is an important and practical way for the culture of a compassionate organisation, struggling to cope with daily challenges and longer-term strategic difficulties, to be lifted.

To find out more visit www.healthcareskills.com