Planning the Future Healthcare Science Workforce

1. Planning the Future Healthcare Science WorkforceMike Palmer – MSC Project Manager, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

2. Planning the future healthcare science workforce Various definitions - ‘Process of ensuring that a business has the right number of employees with the right knowledge, skills and behaviours in the right place at the right time’ ‘A dynamic assessment of the workforce skill-mix supply and demand and the underlying risks of imbalances, to enable a timely response to changes in care and to ensure high quality patient care, safety and value for investment in workforce development, education and training’

3. ODS Population Centric Model • Uses a change management approach and looks at service planning, financial planning, commissioning services and designing the future workforce. • From MSC perspective – focuses on competencies to meet service requirements rather than sticking to traditional roles. • Allows for the development of new roles.

4. 6 stages: • Establish change management approach • Scope parameters of project e.g. looking at a particular population. • Who should be involved ? Involve others. Use expertise. • Timescales. • Project lead etc. • Population definition / strategic environment • Identify key strategic initiatives, policies, national drivers etc. • Information required e.g. service user requirements, type of population. • Identify what you are planning for. • Designing and commissioning services • What service(s) do we require (broad headings at this stage). • Look at what the service user wants. • Important not to consider individual roles/professions at this stage.

5. 6 stages (cont.): • Define skills, knowledge and competency levels • Again, individual job titles and professions not considered. • Consider levels – basic, intermediate or specialist. • Assistants/associates, practitioners and scientists. • Define roles and future workforce • Skills, knowledge and competency now used to identify roles and professions. • Consider current and projected activity for numbers/capacity. • Influences such as shift patterns, T&D time, annual leave etc. • Finance! • Quality!!!!!! • Gap analysis, reality check, planning for implementation • Making it happen – realistic implementation plan. • How to close the gap between current and ideal workforce. • Consider retirements, age profiles, staff turnover, recruitment process, redeployment, training requirements etc.

6. What does MSC mean for workforce planning? Examples: • New career framework to consider. • Skill mix – numbers of assistants, practitioners, scientists. • Supply of practitioners and scientists. • New roles to identify. • Defining skills, competencies and knowledge requirements. • New trainees/practitioners coming through. • ? demand on training. • Harnessing the use of technology. • What will we replace the current workforce with when they leave e.g. retirement?

7. Group Activity • What are the differences between a scientist and practitioner? What will be done by scientists? • What will be the impact of MSC on workforce planning? What do we need to feed into workforce planning documents? • What can we do differently? Examples: • Is there a role for working across divisions? • What generic training can we do? • Does the new CF create opportunities for you?

9. Key Actions For Everyone • Find out who your healthcare science leads are. • Form a ‘healthcare scientist group’ / discuss a way forward. • Engage with senior managers, board, trade unions etc. • Check your ESR data / occupational coding. • Identify who and how many healthcare scientists you have. • Scope existing situation – assess training capacity etc. • Consider what roles there are for scientists etc. • Look at your Trust’s workforce plan. Are healthcares scientists mentioned? • Get on the Trust’s radar and be heard!