Hot Topics

Some organisations and individuals in the NHS already offer their support to health systems in developing countries.Through this work we can play our part in improving health globally while developing leadership and other skills in the NHS and further building and sustaining international networks. This is not just for clinical professionals but also can include none clinical staff (IT, HR and Medical Records staff) and healthcare managers.This Hot Topic describes how individuals and organisations can get involved in international healthcare projects.

The NHS faces a huge challenge to reduce its sickness absence rate to an average of 3.4% throughout the year 2013/14. All NHS organisations have a part to play in helping to achieve this goal and each Trust needs to develop a clear focus on staff health and well-being, as outlined in the Department of Health’s NHS Health and Well-Being Improvement Framework.This hot topic is the final in a series of five documents, linked to the high impact changes.Healthier staff deliver better care to patients and are more productive.

The NHS faces a huge challenge to reduce its sickness absence rate to an average of 3.4% over the year 2013/14 and all NHS organisations have a part to play to help meet this.

This hot topic is the third of a series of five documents, linked to the high impact changes. This Hot Topic specifically looks at the skills and competencies needed by line managers to improve wellbeing, as managers are critical in maintaining employee health.More in the series   

Following on from the Hot Topic Sickness Absence Reporting Methodologies: Reporting the QIPP Challenge, it is now an ideal time to look at how organisations can reduce sickness absence rates through managing staff health and well-being.The NHS faces a huge challenge to reduce its sickness absence rate to an average of 3.4% over the year 2013/14 and all NHS organisations have a part to play to help meet this.More in the series       Strong visible leadership    Local evidence-based improvement plans    Supported by improved management capability    Access to better, local high quality accred

Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs) are part of the new education and training architecture, first introduced in Liberating the NHS: Developing the healthcare workforce - From design to delivery.The North West Local Education and Training Board, known as Health Education North West, is a collaboration between healthcare organisations and other partners in the region to ensure that they develop a highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of patients today and in the future. Health Education North West will work through devolved arrangements with three Local Workforce and

Health Education North West (HENW) has been able to set aside £1m for each local workforce and education group (LWEG) to develop local programmes that support transformational and developmental projects within their respective area. Each LWEG may establish its own principles and process in agreement with HENW officers, on the basis that the requirements of HENW as the accountable organisation are met.This document contains an overview of the 15 projects in Greater Manchester that have been funded by the HENW Forerunner Fund.

Over 90% of all patient contact occurs within primary care (Deloitte 2012, p.4) and national policy is directing an emphasis on moving care closer tohome to improve patient experiences and reduce cost to the overall system. The NHS Five Year Forward View (2014) indicates that the foundationof the NHS should remain as list-based primary care (where GPs are contracted to service patient lists where the patients are registered) via a range of service models, with a stronger role in prevention and condition management.

‘CPD-Apply’ is an electronic application and monitoring system tool, for all Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity, resourced by the Multi-Professional Education and Training (MPET) monies managed by HEalth Education North West (formerly NHS North West). The MPET resource funds CPD provision for clinically professionally registered staff (excluding doctors and dentists) in placement provider organisations.  

The Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) programme will ensure we have a healthcare science workforce which has the skills, knowledge and flexibility to embrace these technological and scientific advances for the benefit of NHS service users. This article, which is the third in a series of MSC hot topics, focuses on the clinical scientist training delivered via the Scientist Training Programme (STP)which, following a pilot in 2010, was rolled out nationally in 2011.