NHS England’s Digital Academy for Health and Care has commissioned The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), to develop “an online, interactive learning resource which introduces allied health professionals (AHPs) across the UK to health informatics, and how technology can support their work”.
CSP is to work in collaboration with Keele University and other AHP professional bodies to develop the platform, which will be supported with “examples of practical application across the 15 AHPs”. Whilst the learning will be hosted on the elearning for healthcare platform, it will be accessible to all AHPs in the UK, regardless of where they are based, their employment sector and their experience.
The platform comes as both the 2016 Watcher Report and 2019 Topol Review commented on digital technology, that “gaps in competence, reinforced by lack of specific and relatable clinical examples are amongst the reasons for it not being mainstream in the delivery of healthcare”. The NHS’s Long Term Plan also identified the “need to develop competence, confidence and motivation in the use of digital technology”.
James Freed, deputy director for The Digital Academy for Health and Care, commented: “Digital is increasingly part of the delivery of high-quality health and social care services. Equipping our workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to improve services, including through the use of technology, is a vital part of that process. At The Digital Academy for Health and Care, we are delighted to support the development of this course aiming to start the process for the AHP workforce.”
In May, our panel session with Jeffrey Wood, deputy director of ICT at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust; Daniel Johnston, senior clinical workflow specialist at Imprivata and registered staff nurse at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and Henrietta Mbeah-Bankas, head of blended learning and digital learning and development at NHS England; focused on developing digital skills and preparing the workforce for digital roles.
Also in May, we covered NHS England’s review of the current status of digital technology and skills in health and care education, which highlighted the digital technologies and methodologies currently in use to deliver education and the types of digital skills required by faculty staff.
