We're working alongside the Imaging and Pathology Networks to deliver workforce plans
Challenge
An independent review of Diagnostic Services for NHS England highlighted that the diagnostic services in the NHS were reaching a tipping point in its final report, Diagnostics: Recovery and Renewal, published in 2020. Without investment and reform in equipment, facilities, and workforce, existing waiting time standards were unlikely to be regained.
The report recommended that a significant increase in the size of the diagnostic workforce was needed. In the South West, this amounted to increasing the workforce by 67% over the next five years. NHS England South West (NHSE) established networks to action the recommendations from the report for south west imaging (SW2 Network) and pathology (S3 Network).
What we did
We were commissioned to work with and support these networks.
The aims of the project were to:
- Identify the current S3 Pathology Network’s workforce supply, expected future requirements/demand, gaps in workforce, and make recommendations for how the gaps could be filled
- Address how the network will develop its maturity and provide a road map with actions that can be taken collectively as a network to deliver the workforce needed over the next five years.
We worked alongside the imaging and pathology networks to deliver elements of the programme:
- Workforce data – we undertook a local labour market review to provide benchmark data, and we modelled future scenarios to forecast demand
- Workforce ambitions – we undertook horizon scanning and used this and the workforce data to help the imaging network identify their ambitions for the workforce plan
- Workforce Plan – we developed a detailed workforce plan to secure the projected workforce requirements and recommendations for workforce optimisation
- Implementation – plan including short, medium and long-term actions to configure the workforce over the next five years.
Activity
Workforce
Supported understanding of current and future state workforce
Data-driven decision-making
Provided benchmark data, and modelled future scenarios to forecast demand
Outcome
Our recommendations contributed to the networks’ delivery of their workforce plans, in particular relating to:
- Demographics (gender, age, equality, diversity and inclusion, international recruitment, tenure, skill mix, and turnover)
- Service and workforce demand
- Supply (staff in post, imaging students, temporary workers and vacancies)
The workforce plans have since been adopted across NHS South West and provider-based plans are being drawn up to support its delivery.
