Less money is provided for education and training as costs of care continues to rise
The cost of maintaining the current level of healthcare provision may increase as a result of demographic changes and demand. High healthcare costs confound the opportunity to create and maintain a flexible workforce, and place pressure on senior professional’s ability to support professional development activities.
Through recent reforms, the Department of Health has sought to shift the planning and developing of the health workforce to local employers. New structures in the form of local education and training boards (LETBs) have been created to help employers, education providers and health professionals work together to plan and commission education and training. They will be supported on a national level by Health Education England. The reforms extend to funding for education and training through the introduction of an education tariff aimed at offering greater transparency and quality. The Future Forum has recommended reforms to the medical training pathway. This will give greater flexibility for doctors in training, and allow doctors to develop a breadth of skills.
Given the financial context and increases in demand for services as a result of demographic changes, though, there is more pressure on funding for health and social care as a whole. This carries across to education and training, as high costs elsewhere obstruct the opportunity to invest in innovative adaptable and flexible training. Less money spent on student training will impact on training quality, and, in turn, the quality of care provided for patients and service users.
Proposed workforce impact
- Healthcare workforce remains siloed and roles remain highly specialised
- Less money is spent on post-graduate training
Sources or references
- Interviews with healthcare professionals as part of the CfWI’s Medical and Dental Student Intakes project, 2012
- King’s Fund, 2009, NHS Workforce Planning: limitations and possibilities
- http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=20006164
- http://www.eufutureofhealthcare.com/sites/default/files/EIU-Janssen%20Healthcare_Web%20version.pdf
Additional research questions
- How does a flexible and more adaptable GP workforce impact on quality of care?
- How do training pathways need to change to allow for a more flexible GP workforce?
- Can the cost effectiveness of this model really be measured?
Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.
