Expert comment Last updated 30 June 2023
Government must meet the needs of higher education institutions if its long-term workforce plan is to be effective, says an expert at Birmingham City University.
Professor Louise Toner, Professional Advisor for the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences at Birmingham City University (BCU), said: “As one of the largest providers of health care courses in the UK, BCU is in an ideal position to meet the needs identified by the new NHS England workforce plan.
“But we cannot do this alone. We need to work with our NHS Trusts partners, other health care providers and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to agree additional numbers because students need to be supervised in the clinical practice settings.”
In 2021/22, BCU trained more than 1,600 undergraduate nurses and more than 450 allied health professionals.
But Professor Toner - a former nurse and midwife who has worked for the NHS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - said the government would need to consider the needs of BCU and other HEIs if the workforce plan was to be effective.
“HEIs will face challenges in that the current accommodation offer may not be sufficient to increase numbers to the level required,” she said.
“Additional skills and simulation resources will also be necessary, while the academic workforce will need to increase in size to cope with the rise in demand and to ensure the education and training is of a high quality.
“Furthermore, the need to work with professional, regulatory and statutory bodies will be essential to ensure any changes to course requirements, as suggested in the plan, are realistic and achievable within the associated timeframes.”
Professor Toner also highlighted the importance of apprenticeships in meeting the needs of the NHS.
“Apprenticeships provide real opportunities to develop the existing workforce without the need for individuals to access student fee and maintenance loans,” she said.
“At BCU, we offer an increasing range of apprenticeships - for maternity support workers and nursing associates as well as in the areas of visual rehabilitation, diagnostic radiography, speech and language therapy, and advanced clinical practice.
“We work closely with our practice partners on developing and delivering these apprenticeships, as we do with all our courses, in order provide our students with the support they need to succeed in their chosen profession and make a valuable contribution to the NHS workforce.”
Professor Toner added: “The plan is a very welcome government initiative, enabling the NHS to develop an ongoing sustainable workforce for the future.
“However, it needs to be seen as part of a wider strategy. This should include retaining the existing workforce, providing career opportunities for staff, flexible working patterns to facilitate work life balance, getting the renumeration of staff right and developing measures to address the ongoing cultural and leadership challenges facing the NHS.
“Addressing the relationship between health and social care is also fundamental in putting all the pieces of the jigsaw together.”