GMC outline their workforce strategy amid concerns that the NHS is reaching breaking point
6 December 2018
The GMC’s eighth annual ‘The state of medical education and practice in the UK’ report sets out challenges in healthcare throughout 2018. At the heart of the report is a concern that the current capacity crisis being felt on the frontline may stall 70 years of progress made by the NHS.
The report looks at burnout and stress, recruitment, retention, and the implications Brexit will have on the UK workforce. The NHS needs long-term planning to ensure that patient need is being met in the right places by a well-supported workforce. In October The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) contributed to the Academy’s response to the proposed 10 year plan to deliver improvements in the NHS. The RCOphth took the opportunity to ensure that the challenges facing ophthalmology are reported at a high level. Recommendations were made in four key areas; Standards, Workforce, Data, and Digital/IT. Emphasis was given to future predicted demands on the ophthalmic workforce.
The GMC calls on colleagues in UK healthcare to continue to be proactive in raising concerns and possible solutions. Action is needed now to support our existing workforce, create sustainable working environments, and keep patient safety at the heart of the NHS. The RCOphth works on behalf of ophthalmologist to uphold standards in eye health and is engaging on an ongoing basis with NHS bodies to ensure our needs are heard.
It will be interesting to see whether and how the GMC and the RCOphth views on long-term planning are incorporated into the NHS 10-year plan, currently due to be published in December.