Interim NHS People Plan

What does this mean for libraries? 

Increasing use of technology and scientific innovation can transform care (p.5) and LKS can support this through current awareness services to alert staff to new developments, and through knowledge management to enable sharing of knowledge and best practice.

Libraries can provide access to evidence, for example through evidence searches, to evaluate and support the introduction of new technologies and ways of working, to help create a culture where digitally supported care is the norm (p.52).

There will be a need to help NHS staff gain new digital skills to help transform care pathways and clinical practice, and enable more efficient ways of working (p.5). While some areas are more difficult for LKS to provide training in (such as patient records) there may be areas that we can help with, such as helping staff become familiar with mobile devices and the use of apps.

Increases in student numbers as urgent workforce shortages such as in nursing are addressed (p.5) may require the introduction of new services to support them whilst on placement with NHS organisations, and may require LKS to work more in collaboration with university library services. Libraries support lifelong learning and continuing professional development of the whole workforce, and this will be key as technology changes and careers become more flexible (p.30) and will support the retention of staff.

The move toward Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) may have implications for the way library services are organised locally, and there may be a need to greater collaboration and partnership across a whole ICS. There will also be more partnership working between ICSs and local authorities that may lead to greater collaboration with public library services. It is expected that ICSs will become the main main organising unit for local health services by 2021 (p.55).

Source: NHS England

Link to main document

Date of publication: June 2019

Summary of driver:

The Interim NHS People Plan sets out the vision for 1.3 million people who work for the NHS to enable them to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan, with a focus on the immediate actions that need to be taken.

It argues that work will be much more multidisciplinary, people will have more flexible and less linear careers, and technology will enable people to work to their full potential. People want a better work/life balance.

The plan is organised around several themes:

1. Making the NHS the best place to work

There is compelling evidence that the more engaged staff are, the more effective and productive they are. Staff report not having enough time, and sickness absence is higher than in the rest of the economy. The NHS needs to become an employer of excellence.

The report sets out actions to attract and retain staff.

2. Improving our leadership culture

Leaders need to develop a positive, compassionate, inclusive and people-centred culture.

3. Addressing urgent workforce shortages in nursing

Although there are shortages in lots of NHS professions, nursing is seen as the most urgent challenge.

4. Delivering 21^st century care

The NHS Long Term Plan sets our priorities such as increasing care in the community, redesigning and reducing pressure on emergency hospital services, more personalised care, digitally enabled primary and outpatient care and a focus on population health and reducing health inequalities.

This requires continued growth in the workforce and its transformation to one that is more flexible and adaptive, has a different skill mix and – through changes in ways of working – has more time to provide care.

The workforce needs to be ready to exploit the opportunities offered by technology and scientific innovation to transform care and release more time for care.

5. A new operating model for workforce

Workforce activities need to happen at the optimal level – whether national, regional, system or organisational – with the expectation of an increasing role for integrated care systems (ICSs) as they develop.

The Plan starts to set out how the principle of subsidiarity will apply to people-related functions by setting out what functions can potentially be carried out at which levels.

6. Immediate next steps

The Plan focuses on the urgent actions that need to be taken over the next year, and a full People Plan that cover five years is still being developed.

At the end of the Plan is a table detailing all of the proposed actions, who will do them, and the timescale.

Delivering high quality, effective, compassionate care

Title of driver: Delivering high quality, effective, compassionate care: Developing the right people with the right skills and the right values: A mandate from the Government to Health Education England: April 2016 to March 2017

Source: Department of Health

Link to main document

Publication format: PDF

Date of publication: October 2016

Summary of driver:

This is the Government’s mandate to Health Education England for the year 2016/17, and sets out the priorities for HEE to help deliver the NHS Five Year Forward View.

Pre-registration nursing and midwifery course will no longer be funded through NHS bursaries or HEE funded tuition from August 2017. The aim is to allow the creation of up to 10,000 new training places.

The NHS Apprenticeship scheme will be advanced.

A new nursing associate role will be introduced, bridging the gap between HCAs and nurses and allowing HCAs to progress to a nursing role.

Key features of driver:

As well as the changes to pre-registration nursing and midwifery training, and leadership education, other objectives include an increase in the primary care workforce (5,000 more GPs and 5,000 other community staff).

The new nursing associate role will provide care in primary, secondary and social care settings, and the role will be available to existing health care assistants as well as new staff. HEE will be working with higher education to provide training courses, and 1,000 new nursing associates will be in training by the end of 2016.

There are some changes to community pharmacy planned, to integrate community pharmacists into the NHS, and to introduce clinical pharmacist posts in general practice. There will also be an expansion in the psychologist workforce to support the ‘Improved Access to Psychological Therapies’ programme.

HEE will be working with key partners to support the development of an integrated workforce across the NHS and social care, as the Government is committed to integrating them by 2020. HEE will also work to reduce reliance on overseas staff.

Primary audience: NHS senior managers, including education and training directors, national bodies involved in education and quality (e.g. CQC, NICE etc.). HEE and LETBs, professional bodies.

Impact on library policy/practice:

The increase in the number of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students may have a bigger impact on joint HE/NHS library services, but all health libraries may see an increase in demand from students on clinical placements. Since these students will no longer receive bursaries, there could also be an increase in their expectations of what libraries should provide.

The new Nursing Associate role could see an increase in demand from staff that are not traditionally heavy users of the library. They may well require more support than other groups, and resources that reflect their training requirements.

One other potentially large impact on health libraries is the proposed integration of health and social care. NHS libraries have not traditionally served local authority social care staff, but this may become a need in the future, especially as staff work more flexibly across health and social care boundaries. At a national level, work may need to be done to ensure that the core collection reflects the needs of social care, and to integrate resources such as Social Care Online into existing platforms such as NICE Evidence or HDAS. It would be advantageous to have a national approach to funding health library services to support social care that doesn’t rely on each individual service having to negotiate with local authorities.

Finally, HEE will promote the adoption of digital technologies by healthcare professionals, both in and outside of work, and libraries could support this by providing training and guidance on the use of technologies that library users might use in their personal lives, and position ourselves as friendly technology experts.

Date last updated: November 2016

Due for review: November 2017

Group member responsible: JC

Building a knowledge enabled NHS for the future

Source:  Link to main document:

Publication format:  PDF

Date of publication: February 2016

Summary of driver:

‘The report identifies the successful characteristics of a knowledge-enabled organisation and how and why these can encourage knowledge sharing behaviours…. and concludes with recommendations on the best way for KM to support the NHS’ future success’. (p4)

• Looks at how role of KM has developed and the drivers which encouraged the development
• Identifies successful characteristics of a knowledge-enabled organisation.

It is hoped that ‘sharing learning and best practice approaches and making decisions based on accessible and , up-to-date evidence will enable the NHS to be more efficient and offer the best care.’ (p4)

Key features of driver:

• Acknowledges that following initial momentum and focus on knowledge management and the role of Chief Knowledge Officer, there is no longer national coordination or support in this area
• Good examples of KM practice – most relevant one is page 18 ‘NHS Scotland and Knowledge into Action’ which integrated LKS with knowledge translation/quality improvement/safety. Evidences the sepsis screening tool app (which won the Scottish Health Awards Innovation Award in 2014 and was shortlisted for a BMJ Award in 2015.
• Lists the characteristics of a successful KM organisation and references Hill and Darzi reports and relevant sections of LQAF
• NHS must adopt a systematic approach to knowledge and utilise power of connections via networks and social media

The following are accepted as challenges when embedding KM in the NHS

• Reorganisation
• KM and business goals
• Culture
• Introduction of change
• Technology
• Focus on explicit knowledge

The report ends with the following recommendations

• Develop knowledge sharing and learning capabilities
• Encourage leaders to support a knowledge sharing culture and behaviours
• Collect and promote examples of the value of KM to the NHS
• Develop communities to facilitate sharing of best practice and KM skills
• Utilise technology to enable widespread and accessible sharing of best practice

Primary audience: LKS staff, all healthcare staff across all areas of the healthcare sector

Impact on library policy/practice:

• Opportunity to showcase to others in organisation how LKS demonstrates effective knowledge management behaviours
• Opportunity to strengthen KM criteria in LQAF
• Promotion of current awareness
• Highlight LKS use of sharing best practice and collaboration (useful when highlighting the section about region-wide coordination and funding for resources)
• Look at the KM section on the MAP toolkit for further ideas (useful resources/Welcome to KM stories)
• Aligning LKS strategy and vision to the organisation via KM tools

Date last updated: 26^th February 2016

Due for review: 26^th February 2017

Group member responsible: LK

Quality Placement in Healthcare- Best Practice Guidance

Source:  Link to main document:

Publication format:  PDF

Date of publication: 2015

Summary of driver:

As a result of the national training tariff for education and training, this document was written by Health Education Yorkshire and The Humber (HEYH) in response to requests from non-medical placement providers on best practice in providing high quality placements and learning environments for health care education.

A range of Professional Regulatory and Statutory bodies and regionally agreed benchmarks and criteria were considered when drawing up this document and the relevant links are embedded in the report.

Its intention is to serve as best practice guidance by placement managers to aid review of non-medical placement provision within their organisation, however, it is anticipated that the general themes can also be mapped to medical placements.

Key features of driver:

The document is split into three themes, each listing outcomes/indicators/suggestions for evidence.

• Theme 1: Whole organisational commitment to, and engagement in education and training for all non-medical professions
• Theme 2: Provision of high quality practice learning environments across the organisation
• Theme 3: Innovation and good practice

Primary audience: Those involved in non-medical placement provision in the first instance.

Impact on library policy/practice:

Theme two impacts on LKS policy/practice with the requirement for provision of high quality practice learning environments across the organisation.

Outcome 2b refers to ‘resources available to students in the practice setting with the following indicators:

• All students to have IT access
• All students to have sufficient access to learning resources eg. Library journals etc
• All students to have sufficient and relevant access to physical resources – eg. PCs, desks

This would be good marketing of the physical space of the Library and Knowledge Service within the organisation. There is also the possibility for LKS staff to strengthen support links with mentors.

Date last updated: January 2016

Due for review: January 2017

Group member responsible: LK

Implementing the NHS five year forward view: aligning policies with the plan

Source:  Link to main document: http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/sites/files/kf/field/field_publication_file/implementing-the-nhs-five-year-forward-view-kingsfund-feb15.pdf

Publication format:  PDF (36 pages)

Date of publication: February 2015

Summary of driver: This is the implementation plan for the NHS Five Year Forward View, which was published October 2014 and proposes major change within the NHS over a five year timeframe. The implementation plan describes why the changes need to be made, makes practical proposals to remove barriers to healthcare and how the new implementation models can be supported. The report highlights the levels of funding required to meet this vision and the need for the NHS to have high-quality and consistent leadership.

Key features of driver:

The document lists four key drivers, each with recommendations for action and finishes with a summary of recommendations

How services are commissioned and paid for

• Innovations in commissioning and contracting – NHS commissioners to be supported by national bodies in order to achieve this
• Importance of investing in the development of system leaders
• Development of federation/networks/super partnerships (multispecialty community provider) to enable general practices to deliver a wider range of services
• Provision of proactive care in the community
• Integrated commissioning- combining CCG and NHS England funding
• NHS commissioners to work with interested general practices as pilot MCPs.
• Formation of primary and acute care systems- single organisations to provide NHS services (GP/hospital/mental health/community care) running as virtual or physical organisations
• Innovation in payment systems- capitated budgets/pooled budgets/integrated personal commissioning

How the NHS is regulated

• Improvements in quality of health and social care- CQC to survey patients and service users
• Whole-system intervention regime to support challenged health economies
• NHS England and Monitor should review current rules on procurement and tendering to enable creation of new care models
• Opportunity for local areas to have access to central legal advice

How improvements in care are delivered by local leaders

• Development of leaders at all levels in the NHS
• Providing all NHS staff with the skills and support requires to improve patient care
• Every NHS organisation to take responsibility for the development of leaders and providing staff with skills in quality improvement
• National bodies to develop explicit strategy for quality improvement
• Currently most NHS leaders are organisational leaders and the Five Year Forward View is aligned with system leaders
• Provider leadership- outlined in the Dalton review

How might a transformation fund contribute?

• King’s Fund has argued for a transformation fun d to help provide financial support through change
• Prime role is for transformation fun to pump-prime new care models whilst existing models are decommissioned
• Important to recognise that some health economies may gain, some may lose and new organisations may be created
• Looking to how mental health moved from hospital care to community services and lessons learned

Where next?

• Care models set out in the Five Year Forward View are a starting point and not the end of the story
• Commitment to real-time evaluation and learning
• Creation of vanguard sites to fast-track new care models
• Imbalance between the opportunities offered by the Five Year Forward View and the current situation of financial deficits/A&E pressures/waiting time performance
• National bodies have the responsibility to reinforce the idea that the delivery of the Five Year Forward View is as important an operational performance

Primary audience: NHS England, NHS Commissioners, NHS Providers

Impact on library policy/practice:

None of drivers are specifically aimed at libraries but there opportunities for libraries.

• The recommendation for ‘Leadership and improvement expertise’ when referring to the NHS becoming a learning organisation states ‘national support for improvement being provided through small teams of credible experts’. We are the credible experts in our field (p20).
• Vision of NHS becoming a learning organisation (as outlined in Berwick report 2013) is a great opportunity to expand and promote our skill sets and services (p20).
• Providing all NHS staff with the resources required to update their skills – literature search training/critical appraisal training/how to access information online, I order to improve patient care.
• Undertake literature searches on the relevant subjects and promote current awareness on leadership and community topics.
• Possibility of keeping GPs engaged with library and knowledge services.

 

Date last updated: February 2015

Due for review:  December 2016

Group member responsible: LK

The Talent for Care: A National Strategic Framework to Develop the Healthcare Support Workforce

Source: Health Education England (HEE) and the Talent for Care programme partnership

Link to main document (supporting information available on a section of the HEE website)

Publication format: PDF

Date of publication: October 2014

Summary of driver:

Talent for Care is part of Health Education England’s Framework 15, a national guide to action in all aspects of workforce planning, education and training across health and care, and focuses on the support workforce (those in Agenda for Change roles banded 1-4 and their equivalents).

The support workforce makes up 40% of the total NHS workforce and provide around 60% of patient care, yet this group receives less than 5% of the national training budget.

Health Education England is working with various national, regional and local partners to change this picture, to increase investment in the support workforce and to spread good practice and innovation.

Key features of driver:

Talent for Care focuses on ten strategic intentions under the three primary themes of Get In, Get On and Go Further:

Get In:

• Broaden the ways into training and employment in the NHS, especially to attract more young people and improve diversity within the workforce
• Increase the chances for people to try new experiences of working in the NHS
• Engage more staff to act as NHS Ambassadors who can promote NHS careers to schools, colleges and local communities

Get On:

• Challenge and support every NHS employer and contractor to implement a development programme for all support staff that is over and above annual appraisals and mandatory training
• All new Healthcare Support Workers and Adult Social Care Workers to achieve the new Care Certificate and, for those that want it, a universally recognised Higher Care Certificate (as of October 2015, work on the Higher Care Certificate is on hold while the Care Certificate is embedded)
• Double the number of HEE funded or supported apprenticeships by March 2016 and establish an NHS Apprenticeship offer

Go Further:

• Simplify career progression with new roles and pathways to promotion, including more part-time higher education as a route into nursing and other registered professions
• Agree with employers and education providers a universal acceptance of prior learning, vocational training and qualifications
• Support talent development that identifies and nurtures people with the potential to go further, especially for those wanting to move into professional and registered roles

Making it happen

• The national Talent for Care programme partnership will support this framework with a national campaign. They will publish information, support pilot projects and spread good practice to continue building the engagement and commitment of all healthcare communities

Primary audience: LETBs, Education and Training departments, Trade Unions

Impact on library policy/practice:

Library workforce:

Whilst the strategy is mainly aimed at the support workforce providing care, there may be implications for the library workforce, with more emphasis on the development and training of para-professional staff, development of career pathways, and more recognition of Certification as a way into professional roles.

There may be a need to provide increased opportunities for work experience or placements within library services.

Library services:

There may be new roles and ways of working within health services that require changes to our membership criteria, such as more apprentices, placements or work experience candidates. There may also be an increase in support workers doing part-time higher education courses as a route into registered professions, and these may require more support for information literacy skills.

Library resources:

There may be a need to supply more knowledge resources at a suitable level for healthcare support workers, especially as they undertake more development and training. Once the Higher Care Certificate is launched, libraries may want to look at resources to support it.

Whilst healthcare support workers are not included as a named group in the ‘Increase in use’ metric of K4H, this is a group that is traditionally under-represented in library usage and there is an opportunity to promote libraries as ideally placed to help support them. This may be through other means than just books, and could include making our spaces available for informal meetings, provision of WiFi, provision of IT training facilities, or signposting to help and support. The challenge may be to translate this into metrics we can use to show our impact.

Date last updated: October 2015

Due for review: October 2016

Group member responsible: JC

Raising the Bar. Shape of Caring:

Title of driver: Raising the Bar. Shape of Caring: A Review of the Future Education and Training of Registered Nurses and Care Assistants

Source:  Link to main document:

Publication format:  PDF

Date of publication: March 2015

Summary of driver:

A review chaired by Lord Willis on the current education and training for care staff and registered nurses which recognises the importance of providing the correct education and training for registered nurses and care assistants.

The review states that the health system cannot continue in its present state. Registered nurses and care assistants are the largest workforce group and need to be part of the radical solution in which healthcare changes from an illness-based, provider-led system to a patient-led, preventative model.

Registered nurses and care assistants will play a more enhanced role in the community and helping patients with both preventative care and self-care and will need the skills to deliver this change in working practice.

The recommendations in the review have been based on the need to celebrate and promote existing good practice and to generate a research culture. The majority of the recommendations are aimed at HEE.

This review references HEE’s National Strategic framework 15, HEE Talent for Care Strategy, HEE Research and Innovation Strategy and other HEE documentation as well as the NHS England ‘Five Year Forward View’.

Key features of driver:

The following eight themes are discussed:

• Valuing the care assistant role
• Widening access for care assistants who wish to enter nursing
• Developing a flexible model
• Assuring a high-quality learning environment for registered nurses
• Assuring high-quality, on-going learning for registered nurses
• Assuring sustainable research and innovation
• Assuring high quality funding and commissioning

Each theme has a set of recommendations and examples of good practice in relation to the theme.

Primary audience: HEE, NMC, LETBs, NHS England, Higher Education Institutes, NHS Trusts, NHS staff.

Impact on library policy/practice:

This driver links to library policy and practice by offering opportunities to promote information skills training to the staff groups involved. This would support staff in maintaining the portfolio skills passport and the Care Certificate.

There are opportunities to link into the lifelong learning and information literacy aspects of the report and promote the services that we already deliver. Using the technology available, we could consider delivering some services such as training in a different way to help those users in the community.

Other ways that this driver impacts on library policy and practice include:

• Critical appraisal training
• Journal clubs
• ‘Training the trainer’ events- to help those staff who are teaching patients how to use technology to get the best evidence available, in order to allow them to self-care
• Sessions on new technologies and how to use them- e.g. apps. E-learning platforms/remote access issues
• RSS/Journal ToC’s etc. for the latest research to provide better patient care
• Opportunity to strengthen links with Research and Development department

Specific quotes that can be mapped back to LKS.

Page 26, on information literacy  ‘nurses and care assistants must receive appropriate training to ensure that they and their patients can access the best evidence and information available, in order to underpin their practice through the use of up-to-date prescribing practice, technology and treatment interventions, enabling excellent self-care and professional care’.

Page 57, when talking about a flexible workforce the report mentions ‘broad research awareness and the ability to engage in critical inquiry and adopt ‘curiosity’

Page 61, on education programmes and employers are asked to ‘encourage employers to support care assistants and registered nurses to remain within their employment by providing them with opportunities to advance their careers and to engage in life-long learning’.

Date last updated: July 2015

Due for review:  July 2016

Group member responsible: LK

 

Tackling health inequalities: the case for investment in the wider public health workforce

Title of driver: Tackling health inequalities: the case for investment in the wider public health workforce

Source: Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH)

Link to main document

Publication format: PDF

Date of publication: June 2014

Summary of driver: A proposal to engage professionals working outside the public health sector, to harness their skills and motivation in order to positively impact public health in their communities. The report argues that through the promotion of healthy behaviour and encouragement of healthier lifestyles, health inequalities within local communities can be addressed which could in turn help to reduce the national incidence of lifestyle-related disease and safeguard resources in the NHS.

Key features of driver:

• The report highlights the pressures that are placed on the welfare system, the economy and social justice, with a cost to the NHS alone of around £5.5 billion (Frontier Economics. Estimating the Costs of Health Inequalities: A Report Prepared for the Marmot Review. London: Frontier Economics Ltd, 2010);

• The ‘wider public health workforce’ is discussed and defined as: any organisation or individual, who is not a professionally qualified public health specialist, but has the ability or opportunity to positively impact public health;

• 5 health initiatives are discussed and their effectiveness assessed in the context of: health outcomes, social benefits  and financial costs, benefits and sustainability) in tackling health inequality and encouraging healthier lifestyles: (1) health trainer service (funded community-based), (2) health champions initiative (community volunteers), (3) Making Every Contact Count’ (health promotion within organisations), the role of non-health professionals and (4) the creation of ‘healthy settings’ (schools and universities);

• The report comments that each stakeholder group (trainers, champions and clients) report a wide range of benefits that extend beyond simple improvements to physical health – improved mental well being, increased social interaction, higher levels of community cohesion and improved career prospects;

• Barriers to achieving change are described with 2 areas of particular concern being: the ability of the workforce to integrate with ‘hard-to-reach’ groups and the need for greater research  particularly into the extent to which behaviour change is sustained and the cost-effectiveness of programmes.

Primary audience: Local Government Authorities

Impact on library policy/practice:

• Opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues in Public Health England to raise awareness of the wider public health workforce initiatives and communicate this to healthcare staff in primary and secondary care, for them to promote to patients and families;

• Opportunity to liaise with colleagues in public libraries to offer an evidence-base (literature, displays, talks) for their library users; showing how positive health outcomes and improved quality of life can be achieved by small changes in lifestyle e.g. better diet, regular exercise, engaging in community recreation and health education schemes;

• Commitment by library and knowledge service managers and resource librarians to incorporate a selection of health promotion and ‘healthier living’ resources into library stock and promote widely within our NHS organisations;

• Support Health Education England events in our regions e.g. Health Education Week to raise awareness of healthier lifestyle choices which can have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of our local communities; families, friends and neighbours.

Date last updated: September 2014

Due for review: September 2015

Group member responsible: ME

Framework 15: Health Education England Strategic Framework 2014 – 2029

Title of driver: Framework 15: Health Education England Strategic Framework 2014 – 2029

Source: Health Education England

Link to main document 

Publication format: PDF

Date of publication: June 2014

Summary of driver: 

Framework 15 is Health Education England’s (HEE) strategy for the healthcare workforce over the next 15 years, and the first part of the Framework sets the scene for the next 15 years, focusing on:

• Global drivers of change (demographic, technology and innovation, current and future service models, expections (of patients and staff), social, political, economic and environmental)
• People and patients of the future (individuals at different starting points, multiple and complex conditions, informed, engaged and active, members of communities of health)
• Future workforce (informal and formal care, co-production and traditional care, whole person care, care wherever and whenever, knowledge, skill and compassion)

Each year, HEE invests around £5 billion in education and training, and the Framework looks at the future needs for trained healthcare staff to inform investment decisions now.

Section 4 of the Framework is HEE’s strategic framework for the next 15 years, and gives five characteristics of the future workforce:

• The ‘workforce’ will include the informal support that helps people prevent ill health and manage their own care when appropriate.
• Will have the skills, values and behaviours required to provide co-productive and traditional models of care as appropriate.
• Will have adaptable skills responsive to evidence and innovation to enable ‘whole person’ care, with specialisation driven by patient rather than professional needs.
• Will have the skills, values, behaviours and support to provide safe, high-quality care wherever and whenever the patient is, at all times and in all settings.
• Delivering the NHS Constitution: ‘Will be able to bring the highest levels of knowledge and skill at times of basic human need when care and compassion are what matters most.’

Key features of driver: 

The Framework has a number of Interesting examples of how technology could drive healthcare e.g. smartphone apps.

The Framework has a number of ‘pen portraits’ of health consumers and staff, looking at how changes to technology and the workforce could impact on them.

According to the Framework, HEE includes in the term ‘workforce’ the informal care that prevents ill health and helps people manage their own care.

HEE hopes to move from simply commissioning the future workforce, to developing the existing workforce and improving retention of training staff. However, it will also be looking at new roles to support future health needs.

Primary audience: Workforce directors of healthcare organisations, higher education, LETCs and LETBs.

Impact on library policy/practice: 

Is there a role for health libraries, in conjunction with public libraries, to support self-care and the ‘informal’ workforce (considered by HEE to be part of the healthcare workforce in the Framework)? We may be expected in future to support the use of technology such as smartphone apps for self-monitoring of health, as well as provide healthcare information suitable for non-professionals.

Changes to educational programmes, and the introduction of new roles or ways of working, could have potentially negative effects on funding of health libraries, if for example funding moves from undergraduate courses to ongoing training and development of the existing workforce.

The Framework indicates that technology will play an increasing role in the work of healthcare staff (for example, telemedicine), and in their education and training (for example, e-learning, apps and simulators). Libraries could be in a good position to support some of these developments.

Date last updated: August 2014

Due for review: August 2015

Group member responsible: JC

Transforming Primary Care: Safe, Proactive, Personalised Care for Those Who Need it Most

Title of driver: Transforming Primary Care: Safe, Proactive, Personalised Care for Those Who Need it Most

Source: Department of Health and NHS England

Link to main document 

Publication format: PDF

Date of publication: April 2014

Summary of driver: 

‘Transforming Primary Care’ sets out plans to improve primary care services for older people and those with long-term conditions, providing personalised and pro-active care.

All people aged 75 and over will have a named GP, and services will be coordinated around the patient by improved communication with different teams e.g. A&E, care homes, mental health etc.

From September 2014, the Proactive Care Programme plans to offer 800,000 people with the most complex needs a personalised programme of care and support by their GP. Patients will also be supported to take control of their own care through technology. The Better Care Fund will support the integration of health and care services.

By 2020 an additional 10,000 primary and community health and care professionals will be in place to support the shift in care, and some of this be through return to practice programmes.

There will be better recognition of the role of carers, and the Care Bill will make it mandatory for local authorities to assess their needs for support.

There will be a revised training programme for GPs, to include an emphasis on working in teams, and care of older people. Post-graduate training for nurses working will older people will be developed, and Care Certificates will be introduced for health care assistants and social care support workers.

Key features of driver:

• More focus on out-of-hospital care
• Better integration of primary and community health services, acute care, mental health and social care
• Increased training and education to support the needs of the elderly and those with complex health needs

Primary audience: Commissioners, primary and community practitioners, Health Education England

Impact on library policy/practice: 

As staff move across traditional boundaries, there needs to be recognition of the need to fund libraries to support staff working in or across all the relevant organisations, including social care.

There could be impacts on funding from the acute sector if there is a major shift to primary and community care.

There may be opportunities to market ourselves as being able to support primary and community staff undergoing training to support older people and those with complex needs, and also to support healthcare assistants and support workers undertaking the Care Certificate.

If we are to increase the level of service we provide to staff working off-site, we may need to look at how these services are delivered, such as using the changes in copyright law to make requesting articles easier. We also to consider whether technology can help us deliver services remotely, for example using screen sharing software to provide assistance accessing online resources, or increasing the availability of ebooks that can be downloaded to mobile devices.

Date last updated: June 2014

Due for review: June 2015

Group member responsible: JC