Statement on the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan

Retention of the existing workforce is essential in order to provide the workforce for the services that are currently commissioned but to also ensure that these training posts that are in the Long Term Workforce Plan can be realised. Placement capacity has been an increased issue, especially in higher density areas such as London, since the Covid-19 pandemic.

In order to review placements, the total hours required and the use of simulated learning needs to be reviewed with a critical lens on patient safety and competence of staff being trained.

UEL has invested heavily in online simulation technology and redeveloping The Hospital & Primary Care Training Hub to ensure it offers the very best learning environment for our students. Our Oxford Medical Simulation tech is available to all learners via an initial virtual placement. It enables our students to go out into practice with a basic competence and confidence in their skills and ability. Evaluations of the use of these virtual placements as first activities has led to increased confidence and lessened feelings of anxiety.

Finally, our newly developed Hospital & Primary Care Training Hub is a European first in end-to-end simulated health and social care practice. The Hub utilises cutting-edge, innovative, interprofessional practice and technologies to enhance the career-focused learning of students in the School of Health, Sport & Bioscience.  Through our engagement with the NHS and local communities, the Hub also works to tackle the health inequalities evidenced in the communities we serve. Through this we can review what alternative models of training can be achieved to support the Long Term Workforce Plan.

UEL is launching new BSc (Hons) Midwifery and BSc (Hons) Midwifery Apprenticeship three-year programmes in September 2023 to increase supply.

There is a shortage of over 2,000 midwives in England at the moment and in the past year 600 midwives have left the service.

UEL has a background in developing programmes at pace for the need of the local workforce. We started our nursing portfolio in 2018 with 60 nursing students and now have over 1,000 nursing students enrolled within the university. We provide 500 apprentices within the school with around 350 being in nursing and nursing associate professions with our NHS partners. This enables a different relationship with placement capacity and enables employers to develop their workforce effectively based on local demands.

In light of the plan we are starting a portfolio review to help the NHS realise its ambitious plans, and will be exploring new courses such as International Nursing as part of that.

Rob Waterson, Dean of the School of Health, Sport & Bioscience