Future-proofing the NHS: how the UK’s largest workforce is gearing up
Interesting overview of some of the key changes leading to a more flexible NHS – reported in a bit of detail as they have the capacity to transform things from a rural perspective. This article tells us:
The government is committed to increasing nursing associates – a bridging role between healthcare assistant and registered nurse. By 2027 some 45,000 will be in post, with 17,000 expected to become registered nurses. The development, according to Health Education England (HEE) chief executive Prof Ian Cumming, has already triggered a rise in the number of people applying to become healthcare assistants because there is now a defined career path. A growth in medical associate professions is also expected – such as surgical care practitioners trained to perform some supervised surgery and advanced critical-care practitioners who look after hospital patients with life-threatening conditions. In future, more physician associates – who can carry out many of the duties typically provided by a GP – are also likely to be found across the NHS.
Helen Gilburt, policy fellow at the King’s Fund thinktank, says: “Physician associates have taken up roles in general practice and hospitals; they are adaptable with a broad skills set. In the US they are found in hospital and surgical teams and treating people with long-term conditions, so it will be interesting to see where they develop and grow in other parts of the NHS.” While these new roles are emerging, it’s also crucial to build on the skills of existing staff, she says: “Getting people who have different skills to work more closely together is more effective than redesigning traditional roles.”
Opportunities for existing staff to become advanced clinical practitioners – experts often working autonomously – will increase in future. Danny Mortimer, chief executive at NHS Employers, says: “I think there is more interest in roles around advanced clinical practice in nursing and the allied health professions than, for example, physician associate, because there are more of these roles and the people are already there.”
Most of the growth in jobs is expected to happen in the community as more people are treated outside of hospital. Technological advancements, which enable patients to self-monitor their condition at home, will also have an impact on how health careers develop: “I think the iPad will transform primary care,” says Cumming. The desire of doctors for more flexible careers will also influence how medical paths develop. Chair of the BMA’s junior doctors committee, Dr Jeeves Wijesuriya, predicts there will be more portfolio careers in medicine in future and hopes there will be more flexibility in junior doctor training, including the chance to work overseas – an avenue HEE is already exploring. Cumming says: “More people want the option to work internationally, and we are looking at what we can do to build links.” Nurses might in future spend some of their training in Australia, while Australian nurses work in the UK as part of a job swap, he suggests.