NHS Plans To Protect, Support and Retain Its Staff
The NHS has published its strategy for how it intends to recruit, care for and utilise its staff in the new era created by Covid-19.
'We are the NHS: People Plan for 2020/21 - action for us all' is a plan for how the NHS aims to support its work and its workers over the next months and into the future.
In the introduction to the document, its aims are identified as follows: 'This plan sets out actions to support transformation across the whole NHS. It focuses on how we must all continue to look after each other and foster a culture of inclusion and belonging, as well as action to grow our workforce, train our people and work together differently to deliver patient care.
Prompted by the issues and challenges created by the Covid-19 epidemic, and building on 2019's 'Interim People Plan', the latest document addresses four aspects of NHS staff care, culture and work.
Looking after our people
This part of the People Plan explains how the NHS is aiming to support what is called 'Our NHS People Promise'. This is presented by seven statements describing how health and acer workers would like to be able to feel about themselves as workers within the NHS.
- We are compassionate and inclusive
- We are recognised and rewarded
- We each have a voice that counts
- We are safe and healthy
- We are always learning
- We work flexibly
- We are a team
Belonging in the NHS
This section identifies how the NHS aims to develop 'a culture of belonging and trust' where 'diversity in all its forms' is understood, encouraged and celebrated. Discrimination and bullying have no place.'
In order to achieve this outcome, wide-ranging measures are planned including the following:
- Reviewing recruitment and promotion practices
- Encouraging conversations about equality, diversity and inclusion
- Ensuring diversity at leadership level
- Education about equality, diversity and inclusion
- Monitoring and assessment of progress
Another key aspect is the need for NHS staff workers to feel that they are able to speak up if they identify something about which they are concerned.
New ways of working and delivering care
The demands of the Covid-19 pandemic have shown the need for flexibility and adaptability in the way people work and deliver healthcare.
The new People Plan proposes to develop the potential for greater flexibility in the delivery of healthcare through a variety of methods including developing skills, encouraging learning and e-learning, and addressing safe deployment and redeployment of staff.
Developing the role of volunteers is also a part of the proposal.
Growing for the future
The last part of the plan recognises the pressure of staff shortages within the NHS and the impact of this on patient safety and care.
Attempts to address this long-term problem, affecting many areas of healthcare, focus on strategies to achieve the following:
- Retain the current workforce
- Expand training and ensure greater future recruitment
- Encourage ex-employees to return to work in the healthcare sector
Patient safety and care
An adequate, diverse, supported and valued workforce in the NHS can contribute to better care and long-term health and well-being of patients. It may also contribute to a reduction in medical errors and negligence if health staff are under less pressure due to shortage of staff.
Medical negligence
When a patient receives substandard, negligent care, their long-term physical and emotional health can suffer dramatically.
If you or al oved one are struggling with the long-term impact of a significant failing in medical care, contact Glynns Solicitors to talk to a specialist medical negligence solicitor.
It may be appropriate to make a claim for compensation.
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