Share your vision for the non-clinical workforce's future

Today, HSJ launches its Inquiry on Maximising the Contribution of NHS Non-Clinical Staff.

HSJ readers are invited to submit examples of good practice, as well as observations and thoughts on how the non-clinical NHS workforce can and will adapt to the demand and resource challenges facing the service over coming years, to help inform the inquiry’s evidence-gathering sessions

Evidence should be emailed to hsjinquiry@emap.com.

The challenges of adequately planning the NHS clinical workforce are fairly well researched, but as the service faces possible consolidation of providers into chains and far more place-based whole-system planning (as opposed to single organisational sovereignty) and pockets of devolution, the importance of the non-clinical workforce is likely to grow.

The inquiry, which is supported by Serco, will seek to investigate the nature of this change. 

Positive phrase

Are there opportunities for wider sharing of non-clinical functions between sites? Will this lead to greater professionalism, organisation and standardisation of these groups of staff, or to lowest-bid, lowest-skill devaluation of functions vital to smooth operation? What lessons can we learn from consolidations in other services such as local government? And can anyone suggest a positive, snappy phrase which describes these key groups of NHS staff in positive terms, rather than as ”non-clinical”?

We look forward to your input. Our inquiry microsite www.hsj.co.uk/non-clinical will feature the best examples of good practice you send us, as well as featuring regular reports from the inquiry’s evidence sessions and discussions. The interim report will be published at the HSJ Value Summit on 24 May, and the main report at the HSJ Summit in November.