Planning the Future Healthcare Science Workforce Mike Palmer – MSC Project Manager, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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’

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.

6 stages:

1) Establish change management approacho Scope parameters of project e.g. looking at a particular

population.o Who should be involved ? Involve others. Use expertise.o Timescales.o Project lead etc.

2) Population definition / strategic environmento Identify key strategic initiatives, policies, national drivers etc.o Information required e.g. service user requirements, type of

population.o Identify what you are planning for.

3) Designing and commissioning services

o What service(s) do we require (broad headings at this stage).o Look at what the service user wants.o Important not to consider individual roles/professions at this

stage.

6 stages (cont.):4) Define skills, knowledge and competency

levelso Again, individual job titles and professions not considered.o Consider levels – basic, intermediate or specialist.o Assistants/associates, practitioners and scientists.

5) Define roles and future workforceo Skills, knowledge and competency now used to identify roles

and professions.o Consider current and projected activity for numbers/capacity.o Influences such as shift patterns, T&D time, annual leave etc.o Finance!o Quality!!!!!!

6) Gap analysis, reality check, planning for implementation

o Making it happen – realistic implementation plan.o How to close the gap between current and ideal workforce.o Consider retirements, age profiles, staff turnover, recruitment

process, redeployment, training requirements etc.

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?

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?

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!