Workforce issues
Why apprenticeships are a solid training tool It is important to note that apprenticeships have been successfully adopted by a significant number of high-skilled industries over the last decade including law, finance, and nursing, and have served to provide huge successes. It has also been adopted as a key pillar of the UK Government’s wider skills strategy, through policy implementations such as the Apprenticeship Levy. More specifically in the NHS, nursing
apprenticeships have been a vital part of its recruitment strategy since 2017. These were introduced with the aim to generate nurses of the same calibre as traditional nursing students, with training being provided by Nursing Medical Council (NMC) approved education providers and have been a huge success since their inception. Considering nurses play an extremely
vital role in treating patients in close collaboration with doctors, training NHS doctors in a similar way offers a promising solution to bridge gaps within the workforce. Overcoming the various misconceptions
surrounding apprenticeships is key to unlocking the full potential of fresh talent the NHS could bring in.
Looking ahead With the NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan aiming to train one in six medical professionals with the use of apprenticeships, this approach could play a key role in the stability and future of our nation’s healthcare service. That is why a greater level of support is required from the public and the current medical community to streamline the onboarding and recruitment processes, as well as increasing the uptake of apprenticeships in the medical profession. The misconception of apprenticeships being less credible than the traditional university route needs to transform, and the already proven benefits of apprenticeships need to be discussed more. Apprenticeships are not only the missing piece of the puzzle to reduce staff shortages and treatment waiting times, but they can also promote diversity, support career progression, and upskill staff with the latest skills – transforming the NHS into a better place to work, with greater opportunities for innovation, and provision of high-quality, patient-centred care if designed and implemented meticulously. It is a priority to accelerate the
improvement of our healthcare system, and further delays can put even more pressure on NHS staff. It is time that we think outside
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of the box, and build a passionate, highly skilled workforce.
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References 1.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-68171162 2.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/ feb/05/sunak-admits-failure-over-promise-to- cut-nhs-waiting-lists
3.
https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news- from-the-bhf/news-archive/2024/march/heart- care-waiting-list-rises-again#:~:text=There%20 was%20a%20decrease%20in,over%2018%20 weeks%20for%20care.
4.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ news/2024/02/21/nhs-heart-care-waiting-list
5.
https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/ news/uk-severe-nursing-workforce- shortages-new-rcn-report-exposes-urgent- need-for-government-action041122
About the author
Professor Lynne Gell is the Dean of BPP University School of Nursing. Lynne joined BPP in 2011 and is a strong advocate of partnership and inter-professional working. Lynne is instrumental in developing BPP’s national and international portfolio across health and social care disciplines.
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