Workforce Planning in the NHS

Workforce planning is the process of determining the roles and skills that will be needed in the NHS, both now and in the future. It examines workforce requirements from the perspective of the most effective way to meet patient needs.

• What is workforce planning?

• Who is responsible for workforce planning?

• Drivers of change in the workforce

• How the NHS workforce is changing

• Redesigning roles

• Joined-up workforce planning

• Workforce planning is the process of identifying the staff, skills and roles that will be required to deliver effective patient services now and in the future. It requires a focus on the existing staff and skill profile, likely future supply and what will be required to provide local and national service priorities. What is workforce planning?

• Every NHS organisation must plan for its local workforce needs, reflecting local circumstances and aligning them to regional and national plans. Who is responsible for workforce planning?

• Demographics, legislation and changes in the way health care is delivered and measured are driving the need for changes in the skill mix, location and roles of NHS staff. Drivers of change in the workforce

• The modernisation agenda and other drivers of change mean that staff may work in different roles, use different skills, work in different places and at different times. This will be dictated by the need to provide effective patient services that meet future service priorities. How the NHS workforce is changing

• Role redesign is a structured approach to defining how roles and ways of working need to change. A range of tools, such as process mapping, are available to support role redesign. Redesigning roles

• Given the competition for skilled staff, not just in the NHS but in other caring industries, it may be helpful to develop integrated local workforce plans. Joined-up workforce planning