Major changes proposed in Welsh NHS education and training

A new, single body for Wales to strategically oversee workforce planning and commission education and training places for the NHS in Wales is needed, an independent review has recommended.

The review also said NHS Wales needs to demonstrate the value it places on existing staff by putting more emphasis on how people can be provided with opportunities to extend their skills through flexible education and training programmes. It also reflects the need to exploit technology further through a greater use of e-learning programmes.

The recommendations are part of the Health Professional Education Investment review, led by Mel Evans OBE (pictured), which looked at the way the Welsh Government currently invests in the planning, development and commissioning of health professional education and workforce development in Wales.

The Welsh NHS is Wales’ largest employer, with more than 72,000 (full-time equivalent) people directly employed, along with an additional 4,000 independent practitioners. Over the past 10 years, the number of frontline staff working in the Welsh NHS has increased by almost 10%.

More than £350m a year is invested in education and training programmes to support more than 15,000 students studying a range of health-related programmes across Wales. These include undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development.  

The review panel found the current arrangements for planning and commissioning education and training places are over-complicated and fragmented – medical and healthcare professional places are commissioned by separate organisations – and while there were areas of innovation and collaboration across Wales the arrangements largely focused on maintaining the current delivery models.

Mr Evans said: “The recommendations of the review panel attempt to set a framework for change, which, subject to engagement, should allow NHS Wales to move quickly towards a managed programme of coordinated strategic planning and commissioning of education, training and workforce development throughout Wales.

“The role of the ‘single body’ would be to ensure this coordinated strategic approach and develop measurable performance outcomes, underpinned by the refreshed strategic vision for NHS Wales.”

Welcoming the publication of the review, Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford said: “I am grateful to the review panel for this report. The NHS workforce is key to delivering the services we require in the future and it is important the investment we make in training and education help to deliver the changes we need going forward.

“I commissioned this report to establish whether the current arrangements represent the best value for Wales or whether changes are required.

“The report proposes some fundamental changes and I want to take the views of others into account before making any decisions on the way forward. I encourage all with an interest to feed in their views during this period of engagement.”

The report will now be subject to a six week period of engagement with stakeholders.