NHS report says urgent need to redefine traditional roles
The Nuffield Trust has produced a report recommending a new model of care and a different kind of workforce, arguing that the role of the NHS has changed dramatically since being created nearly 70 years ago. It recommends that traditional roles are expanded with nurses, paramedics and other health workers trained to do some of the jobs currently carried out by doctors. The report, which stresses the urgent need for reform, was commissioned by NHS Employers, the body which negotiates staff contracts on behalf of the health department.

Deeper understanding of patient needs is key to developing NHS workforce 17 May 2016

Having the right number of appropriately skilled staff is a huge organisational challenge and a critical determinant of the quality and efficiency of health care.



There is a growing gap between patient needs and the skills and knowledge of the workforce that cares for them, especially regarding the non medical workforce. The Nuffield Trust report, Reshaping the workforce to deliver the care patients need, commissioned by NHS Employers, gives guidance for reshaping workforce; identifies key enablers and obstacles to change; and provides recommendations for national and local bodies about key actions to support change.



Saffron Cordery, director of policy and strategy, said:



“There is a huge workforce challenge in the NHS but with that also comes opportunity. That opportunity is to put patients' needs centre stage and train, recruit and establish a workforce that can meet those needs most effectively. If the NHS is to achieve the step-change in efficiency set out in the Five Year Forward View, then the way in which its workforce operates must change urgently.





NHS leaders must be given the space to use this guidance and effectively reshape the workforce

“Today’s report rightly makes it clear that this is not just about training more staff, or even about creating new roles, it is also about developing, training and equipping the existing workforce, especially the vast non-medical workforce. This should result in a more stable substantive workforce with reduced reliance on temporary staff."



Read full press statement