Social Care News

Proposal to create single body to oversee NHS workforce planning and training welcomed

The proposal by an independent review for the NHS in Wales to create a single body to oversee workforce planning and the commissioning of training and education places has been welcomed.

Such a body would also oversee commissioning of training for nurses in the independent sector where there is currently a recruitment crisis.

CFW's policy adviser Melanie Minty said: "We welcome this proposal which should improve recruitment for nurses both in the NHS and the independent sector.

"We would hope to be part of the consultation process in the light of the nurse current recruitment crisis in the independent sector," she added.

The Health Professional Education Investment Review was commissioned by the Welsh Government and was led by Mel Evans OBE. It looked at the way the Welsh Government currently invests in the planning, development and commissioning of health professional education and workforce development in Wales.

The review panel found the current arrangements for planning and commissioning education and training places are over-complicated and fragmented – medical and healthcare professional places are commissioned by separate organisations – and while there were areas of innovation and collaboration across Wales the arrangements largely focused on maintaining the current delivery models.

Advantages of a single NHS body to oversee workforce planning and training

In its report The Health Professional Education Investment Review said that a single NHS body would:

• Build stronger relationships with professional regulators
• Meet the need for a refreshed strategic vision for NHS Wales to 2030
• Create a greater emphasis on providing young people with opportunities to experience the wide range of career opportunities in the NHS

Health Minister Mark Drakeford welcomed the publication of the review and said: "I am grateful to the review panel for this report. The NHS workforce is key to delivering the services we require in the future and it is important the investment we make in training and education help to deliver the changes we need going forward.

"I commissioned this report to establish whether the current arrangements represent the best value for Wales or whether changes are required.

"The report proposes some fundamental changes and I want to take the views of others into account before making any decisions on the way forward. I encourage all with an interest to feed in their views during this period of engagement," he added.

• Read the full story on the Welsh Government website: Major changes proposed to maximise investment in NHS education and training in Wales