The government has launched its 10 Year Health Plan for England, driving shifts in the NHS from hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital.
Announced on Thursday 3 July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting said the plan would help get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.
The Society of Radiographers has welcomed the introduction of a long-term strategic approach to addressing the NHS’ challenges, and supports the core principles and ambitions of the three shifts. However, it has warned the plan is short on detail, and emphasised that its ambitions need firm “hows” for achieving these.
'Changes needed to support operational shifts'
New 'Neighbourhood Health Services' will bring healthcare closer to the public, and the NHS App will become the digital front door to the NHS, making managing care as easy as online banking, the plan explains.
Dean Rogers, executive director of industrial strategy at the SoR, said: “The SoR is a long-time advocate for community centred care, early diagnosis and prevention, and we are at the forefront of utilising positive technological advances to enhanced efficient and effective care for patients, as long as the right safeguards for patients and staff are in place. We also broadly welcome the recognition that there will be organisational changes needed to support these operational shifts.”
In particular, Dean welcomed a focus on strengthening the leadership capacity with the creation of a Leadership College, and greater leadership accountability. However it is keen to engage in detailed conversations on how to positively meet such an ambition, such as extending performance-related pay. Dean explained this is a “tired idea” proven over 30 years to have little to no positive impact, and significant potentially difficult side effects.
Dean also emphasised that a 10-year plan without an aligned, costed and equally strategic workforce plan is no plan at all.
'This is not either-or territory'
Other concerns of the SoR include:
- Current workforce model founded on a lack of flexibility, overtime, and conditions that drive burnout
- Recruitment freezes despite vacancy rates across departments
- Unrealistic ambitions around immigration
- Language that reinforces existing hostile work environments across the NHS and public services
It is instead calling for a modern employment contract and a workforce strategy actively founded upon reasonable working patterns, safe conditions, and an expectation of a genuine work-life balance.
“We hope there will be genuine and serious engagement with ourselves and other unions and professional associations between now and [the workforce plan] publication,” he added. “Of course the SoR has been long a-time advocate for training enough professionals for us to meet known increases to demand as well as developing the existing workforce to meet its potential for patients. But this is not either/or territory.”
Richard Evans, CEO of the SoR, added: “As a whole, the document does a good job in referencing the NHS healthcare workforce as a whole. There is much to be of interest and to watch carefully in the workforce chapter.
“However, this makes the few references to specific professional groups stand out in the text and it is regrettable that specific references to the implementation of AI to assist professionals and the potential for integrated working at advanced practice level only mention doctors and nurses. This is unnecessarily exclusive and will be a distraction to many allied health professionals reading the document.”
The plan is backed by an extra £29 billion investment to fund the reforms, service improvements and new technology required.
Find out more about the NHS 10 Year Health Plan online here.
(Image: NHS 10 Year Health Plan logo)