With health needs changing, the National Health Service will have to adapt, issuing reforms to meet the new demands brought forth by the health service.
Talking to delegates at the annual NHS Confederation conference, Jane Dacre, Royal College of Physicians president, said that the future workforce of the health service needs to undergo changes to address to address past, present and future challenges. Otherwise, the NHS will falter in providing optimal health care for those in the UK.
One of the reasons the health service has to change is the fact that its patient group is changing. For instance, two-thirds of those going to acute hospitals are older than 65 years old and manifest a range of chronic health conditions. Technological advancements have also ensured that people will live longer, allowing a third of babies born in 2015 to live up to their 100th birthday.
Another issue is the low growth in the number of midwives and nurses compared with consultants for the NHS, what with just an 11 percent increase in the former between 2003 and 2013, while the latter recorded a spike of nearly 50 percent. As to why, this may be explained in two ways: either the NHS is having a shortage of midwives and nurses or the service has simply changed, calling for different requirements.
As an upside, the NHS is expecting 13 percent more registered nurses to enter the workforce by 2017. Unfortunately, it is being questioned how the health service will be able to cope in the meantime.
Doubly unfortunate is the fact that the low number also extends to general practitioners. The government has promised to produce 5,000 extra GPs to address the demand, but there is skepticism as to how the pledge will be realized.
Dr. Amanda Boyle, NHS Blackpool chief clinical officer, said that 261 GPs joined the NHS last year. However, with 38 percent of GPs in Lancashire, for instance, due to retire or leave within the next decade, it doesn't seem possible that 5,000 will be joining the workforce in the next 20 years.
Aside from training GPs, it was suggested that biomedical sciences students can be given the opportunity to switch to medicine. Pharmacists as well can help lighten the load for the health service thanks to the clinical skills they have developed. Graduates should also consider management positions within the NHS because the health service doesn't just need nurses and GPs to operate.
Photo: Army Medicine | Flickr
