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Press release: NHS Employers responds to the Next Stage Review: A High Quality Workforce report30 Jun 2008 In response to health minister, Lord Ara Darzi's workforce report, published today as part of the Next Stage Review, Alastair Henderson and Sian Thomas, acting directors of NHS Employers said: "Much of what is outlined in today's report will be welcomed by employers and supports the direction of existing work programmes which seek a fit-for- purpose workforce delivering high quality patient care. "We welcome the continuing efforts of the NHS and individual professional groups to ensure that staff are well prepared and well supported to deliver the highest quality patient care in all settings. We look forward to NHS Employers and NHS Careers playing a central role in the next steps of the work on tomorrow's clinicians. "Employers supported proposals to make nursing an all-graduate profession in the recent NMC consultation and we look forward to working with the NMC, Department of Health and others in taking forward changes to nursing education that will benefit both patients and the profession. "The modernisation of scientific careers is a critical piece of the workforce jigsaw and work to make scientific careers more attractive is already underway. In addition, the extension of regulation to wider staff groups is much needed, ensuring that there is transparency about the safety and accountability of the large group of staff who do much of the day-to-day caring for patients and service users. "The proposals for developing a medical training system based on modular credentialing are potentially radical and far reaching and have major implications for trusts on how medical care is organised and delivered. "A growth in the availability of apprenticeships is a welcome addition to the routes into working in the NHS but we must make sure that they are developed in order to match local needs and resources and are not created through top-down targets. NHS employers must be involved in the planning of apprenticeships. "However, we do have concerns about some of the structural arrangements proposed, in particular the potential centralisation of workforce planning and the commissioning of education. "We have consistently called for an employer-driven system of workforce planning and are pleased to see that the report endorses that principle. We fully support the concept that workforce and education planning should be focused on quality, should be patient-centred, clinically-driven, flexible, locally-led and clear about roles. "However, from the machinery described to support workforce planning, it is not clear that the employer role will be central and we will be discussing with the Department of Health how a system of employer-led planning can be developed. "Effective commissioning and planning of education is fundamental to secure the workforce we need to provide safe and effective patient care. We are concerned that the proposed model risks creating professional silos and underplays the role of NHS organisations who are best placed to determine the numbers of different types of trained staff needed, as well as ensuring a coherent approach between the different professions. "Changing funding arrangements so that money follows the student/trainee is something many have sought for a long time to ensure fairness and equity. However, this will need to be carefully managed over a period of time so as not to impact on the delivery of services in some of our major teaching hospitals." Notes for editors
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For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726. Last reviewed 30 Jun 2008 |
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