Delivering the 10 Year Health Plan in the Midlands and East
The annual Midlands and East SPF conference, held in Peterborough on 3 December, brought together members of the Midlands and East of England SPFs with HR and trade union colleagues to explore how partnership working can support the workforce to deliver the ambitious NHS 10 Year Health Plan (10YHP).
The agenda and keynote speakers showcased initiatives already underway in NHS organisations and shared learning to support ongoing collaboration across the regions.
The event was co-chaired by Caroline Hennessy, regional head of health at UNISON; Lorna Lord, deputy director of people and culture at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; Liz Cooke, director of HR and organisational development at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust; and Ollie Hopkins, regional organiser at UNISON.
Regional insights on the 10 Year Health Plan
Leading the keynote session, Paul Corrigan, non-executive director at NHS England (NHSE), gave his insights on effective implementation of the 10YHP. He set out the need for the NHS to change to better address increased demand from older patients with complex needs, and the role of the workforce in using existing and new skills to bring about these changes.
National SPF colleagues Claire Sullivan, director of employment relations and union services at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, and Rebecca Smith, director of system and social partnership at NHS Employers, outlined the challenging context for the workforce.
They shared opportunities and risks in developing new NHS Staff Standards in line with the commitment made in the 10YHP to support staff experience and manage the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology on the workforce.
NHSE regional directors of workforce, training and education, Phil Carver (East of England) and John Drew (Midlands), used regional data to highlight the need for workforce transformation to deliver one of the three key shifts under the plan ‘from acute to neighbourhood health’, and the important role of staff engagement and leadership in achieving this.
A new approach to sickness absence
In the afternoon session, Sharon Lord, health and wellbeing lead at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Ruth Barker, assistant director of people at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, and James Bull, regional organiser at UNISON, presented the North West Wellbeing and Absence Policy.
They explained how they worked in partnership across organisations to design an attendance policy that is person centred and promotes compassionate collaboration between managers and employees to support staff to stay well in work.
Sarah Patten, programme lead for health and wellbeing at NHS Employers, shared the recently updated NHS Employers Sickness Absence Toolkit, a detailed and practical online resource which supports managers to navigate sickness absence by leading compassionate conversations and promoting a proactive and preventive approach to wellbeing.
Nurturing local talent
Delegates had the opportunity to hear best practice examples from across the Midlands and East on how to nurture talent in local communities to grow talent pipelines into the NHS.
Colleagues from East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust demonstrated its role as an anchor institution, using strong partnerships with the education sector, charities and local authorities to widen access into NHS roles and help address health inequalities in the local community.
Colleagues from University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust showcased their own approach, detailing its ‘I Can’ employability programme; a ‘Career Zone’ space to promote opportunities to staff and the wider community; and investment of the apprenticeship levy to support skills building for the future workforce.
Summary session
Closing the event, co-chair Liz Cooke emphasised the need for the workforce to understand the 10YHP and its implications for them; that real change to address workforce challenges takes courage on all sides; and through strong partnership working, staff experience can genuinely be improved.
Delegates left with a range of practical tools and case studies to support employers and trade unions to work in partnership to engage, upskill and support staff to confidently and effectively deliver the 10YHP.
