Migration and the health and care workforce

Migration Observatory – June 2023

This paper examines the role of migration and the impacts of immigration policy on the UK’s health and care workforce. The health and care industries faced significant staff shortages in 2023, with high vacancy rates in the NHS in England despite a growing clinical workforce. The UK immigration system admitted unprecedented numbers of overseas health and care workers in the year ending March 2023: almost 100,000 people, making up the majority of Skilled Worker entry visas

Read the Evidence Paper – Migration and the health and care workforce

Establishing youth-friendly health and care services

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities – 27th June 2023

This guidance, which is known as ‘You’re Welcome’, sets out prompts and self-assessment quality criteria commissioners and service providers can use to improve the experiences of young people.

This guidance has been developed in partnership with young people to reflect the changing way services are provided and influences on young people’s lives.

‘You’re Welcome’: establishing youth-friendly health and care services

Helping NHS staff to do their jobs: design of information in the workplace

HSIB – 29th June 2023

National Investigators Clare Crowley and Nick Woodier blog about the simple but often overlooked measures that NHS staff and organisations can take to improve the design and display of information in the workplace.

Further information – Helping NHS staff to do their jobs: design of information in the workplace

Understanding regulations of AI and digital technology in health and social care

NHS – June 2023

Learn what regulations to follow and how to evaluate effectiveness, whether you’re a ‘developer’ of AI and digital technology or an ‘adopter’ who will buy or use them in health and social care.

Understanding regulations of AI and digital technology in health and social care

NHS Resolution – Business plan 2023/24

NHS Resolution – June 2023

At NHS Resolution we work hand in hand with the rest of the NHS to resolve claims for compensation fairly and share learning to prevent future incidents. Through our Practitioner Performance Advice service e also play a critical role in supporting the local management of performance concerns – essential to the NHS workforce and to the safety of healthcare. At present, we work with an NHS that is recovering from the pandemic and experiencing widely acknowledged pressures alongside structural changes occasioned by the development of integrated care systems. A series of inquiry reports with important recommendations on safety show that it has never been more important to pay attention to what the issues we handle are telling us about the concerns of patients and the opportunities to improve.
Our business plan for the coming year aims to make our interactions with the NHS as easy as possible for hard-pressed NHS staff, ensuring that what we do removes additional burden, helps in a tangible way with work to improve patient care and gives the best possible return for the investment in our expertise

Read the Report – Business Plan 2023/24

Rapid review into data on mental health inpatient settings: final report and recommendations

Department of Health and Social Care – 28th June 2023

The rapid review into data on mental health inpatient settings was commissioned by ministers to produce recommendations to improve the way data and information is used in relation to patient safety in mental health inpatient care settings and pathways, including for people with a learning disability and autistic people.

This report contains the findings of the review, including a set of recommendations for improvements in the way local and national data is gathered and used to monitor and improve patient safety in mental health inpatient pathways.

For more information on the purpose, objectives and scope of the rapid review, see the full terms of reference.

Rapid review into data on mental health inpatient settings: final report and recommendations

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: Workplace experiences 2023

General Medical Council – June 2023

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: Workplace experiences 2023 is published at a time when the UK health systems face extensive challenges. This report shares concerning data about the experiences of doctors and the challenges to providing adequate care to patients. In this context, careful and constructive exploration of the practical, evidence-based steps that can be taken to improve the situation
is critical, to protect both patients and the doctors who care for them.

Read the Report – The state of medical education and practice in the UK

Facing workforce shortages and backlogs in the aftermath of COVID-19 – The 2022 census of the ophthalmology consultant, trainee and SAS workforce

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) – march 2023

Key findings

Workforce shortages remain a serious problem for NHS ophthalmology services across the UK in the aftermath of COVID-19, and have worsened since our last census in 2018. These contribute to and exacerbate the long outpatient backlogs faced by eye units, which 81% of NHS eye units say they have become more concerned about over the last 12 months. The considerable growth of independent sector providers (ISP) delivering NHS-funded cataract
surgery is also having a significant impact on ophthalmology services and its workforce. Although views are mixed, a majority of eye units say that the impact of ISPs on patient care in their unit has been negative. Increasing
numbers of consultants also plan to spend more time working in ISPs over the next five years.
The census also found a clear desire among Specialty and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors for greater recognition and simpler routes for progression in ophthalmology. The work being led by the GMC to reform the CESR process, which RCOphth is contributing to, should support this ambition.

Read the Report – Facing workforce shortages and backlogs in the aftermath of COVID-19

Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme 2023

Public Health Scotland – Publication date: 27 June 2023

Stroke continues to be a major cause of death, disability, poor quality of life and high economic and personal cost across Scotland. Acute treatments like stroke mechanical thrombectomy offer hope for a select group of patients, but the
Progressive Stroke Pathway document requires to be implemented in full across every NHS Board in Scotland to allow the best possible outcomes for all stroke survivors.
The Scottish Stroke Care Audit (SSCA) continues to provide regular data to all NHS Boards to allow benchmarking and quality improvement. In this document, based on the 2022 data, you will see that there has been an
increase in the number of reported strokes in 2022 (11,257 cases) compared to 2021 (11,055 cases). Both these numbers are higher than in previous years. We believe that these increases represent a combination of better stroke diagnosis (especially with more advanced imaging) and better case ascertainment (through cross validation with Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR) 01 figures) rather than a genuine increase in stroke numbers. Unfortunately, deprivation and cardiovascular disease remain closely linked. The NHS Boards with most patients in Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) categories 1 and 2 (most deprived areas) are seen in our figures to also have a lower average stroke age, especially in men. This year’s report unfortunately shows further deterioration against the swallow
screening (68% v 73%) and stroke unit (63% v 70%) standards, whilst brain scanning, and aspirin delivery remain stable. These figures have led to an overall fall in performance against the Stroke Care Bundle. This will be discussed in more detail in the ‘Impact of COVID-19’ section but will inevitably have led to longer lengths of stay and worse outcomes for those patients affected.

Read the Report – Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme 2023

Future of venous disease: growing problems, shrinking workforce

All-party parliamentary group on Vascular and Venous disease – May 2023

VLUs cause severe patient distress and are prone to becoming infected if not managed well. In extreme cases, the wound can become so large that bone and tendon are exposed. Failure to address the underlying venous disease causing the ulcer can lead to wound
recurrence.
Despite the scale of the problem being well known, and guidance being in place to ensure prompt treatment for VLUs, patients still face challenges in receiving treatment. Venous disease is often deprioritised in the context of many other conflicting health challenges. This is in part due to a shrinking workforce and inconsistent commissioning of services. This report has highlighted the challenges in treating the number of patients with VLUs, and sets out recommendations for Government, NHS England, and local commissioners to ensure that patients receive appropriate care at the right time, in the right place. In delivering these changes, the NHS could save significant amounts of money and patients would benefit from earlier interventions and better outcomes.

Read the Report – Future of venous disease: growing problems, shrinking workforce