In July, the government released its 10 Year Health Plan for England in response to Lord Darzi’s diagnosis that the NHS is in a critical condition. The proposed reforms aim to revolutionise healthcare in England, and the focus will now rightly shift to deliverability.
To achieve the stated transitions, such as moving from hospital to community care, from sickness to prevention and from analogue to digital, technical education will play a pivotal role.
Digital skills training
The success of moving from analogue to digital will depend on ensuring the public are equipped with the digital skills required to access the proposed “Doctor in the Pocket” and various services available via the NHS app.
Mobile technology will provide patients with instant access to healthcare services such as virtual consultations, prescription management, appointment booking and health monitoring tools.
NCFE’s recent No One Left Offline report highlighted that one in five people lacked the essential digital skills needed to fully engage with today’s digital world. This represents a significant portion of the population who, without intervention, risk being left behind as the NHS app evolves into a one-stop shop for patient access, and underscores the importance of providing access to essential digital skills training.
Upskilling digital capabilities will also be crucial for the workforce as AI becomes embedded in clinical practice. AI is already being trialled in diagnostic imaging, triage systems and predictive analytics for patient outcomes.
If AI agents are to become trusted assistants to nurses and doctors, training will be essential to ensure their efficient use and to prevent them from adding to administrative burden. Staff will need training in interpretation of AI-generated insights, understanding the limitations of algorithmic decision-making, and maintaining ethical standards in patient care.
Building trust
As patient records become centralised and accessible through digital platforms, cybersecurity will remain critically important for both NHS staff and patients. Risks include phishing attacks, data breaches and ransomware targeting sensitive health information. People will need increased knowledge and awareness around how to effectively safeguard data.
Training should cover secure data handling practices, recognising cyber threats and understanding legal responsibilities under data protection regulations. A digitally literate workforce is essential to maintain public trust in the NHS digital transformation.
Data analysis will also take on a more central role as genomic studies expand. If genome analysis is to become universal at birth, it will require the storage and analysis of vast amounts of data. Although AI will likely perform the bulk of analysis, there will still be a need for professionals to quality-assure the outputs.
Workforce evolution
Education and training will be equally vital in shifting care from hospitals to the community. With the planned introduction of neighbourhood health centres (NHCs), there will be a rise in demand for qualified health professionals. Technical and vocational education will be key to ensuring a sufficient supply of nurses and allied health professionals to support the implementation and operation of NHCs.
This plan must also align with the Care Workforce Pathway recently announced by Skills for Care – the workforce planning body for adult social care. Again, education will play an integral role in ensuring that staff working in adult social care possess the skills required to deliver high-quality personalised care, as emphasised in the 10 Year Health Plan.
Promoting prevention
Transitioning from sickness to prevention will require educating the public on healthy lifestyle choices. We have already seen the need for a plan to support sustained weight loss following the administration of new weight-loss medications.
Additionally, increasing vaccination uptake will require more trained professionals to administer vaccines, alongside efforts to combat misinformation that has contributed to growing scepticism.
The government’s plan sets out a transformative vision for the future of healthcare, with education and training at its core.
Ultimately, delivering it will require a coordinated, inclusive approach, ensuring no one is left behind as the NHS evolves to meet the needs of tomorrow.
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