SFC/16/29
Agenda item 7
22 April 2016
NHS Education for Scotland/SFC Joint Action Plan
• To review the 2014-2016 NES/SFC Joint Action Plan.
• To consider and approve the 2016-2019 Memorandum of Understanding.
• To consider and approve the 2016-2017 Joint Action Plan.
Recommendations
• Note the progress with the 2014- 16 Joint Action plan.
• Approve the continuation of the Memorandum of Understanding.
• Consider and approve the 2016-17 Joint Action Plan.
Financial implications
• The actions within the 2016-17 Joint Action Plan may require both
organisations to commit resources to support the objectives. Both
organisations will need to discuss and approve (through their respective
governance systems) any associated financial implications. Elements of the
plan are therefore subject to the availability of funding in both organisations.
• The Memorandum of Understanding includes a commitment from both
organisations to fund a joint post to lead on the Joint Action Plan. The SFC
contribution to this joint post is funded from SFC’s running cost budget.
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) /SFC Joint Action Plan
Purpose
1.
The purpose of the paper is to review the 2014-2016 NES/SFC Joint Action Plan;
and to consider and approve the 2016-2019 Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) and the 2016-2017 Joint Action Plan.
Background
2.
At the NES/SFC Joint meeting held on 9 May 2008, the Chairs agreed to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations and to develop
an annual Joint Action Plan. Both the NES Board and the SFC have received
updates on progress on activity, as agreed in the Memorandum
3.
The MoU also requires the NES/SFC Chairs and CEOs to meet with the leads for
the Joint Action Plan once a year to discuss progress with the current plan and
agree the next plan. The Chairs and Chief Executives met in March 2016 and
reviewed the 2014-16 joint action plan, approved the 2016-17 draft joint action
plan
4.
The Memorandum was renewed in November 2012 for a further three years,
and requires approval if the joint work will continue. At their meeting, the
Chairs and CEOs were content to continue the MoU for a further three years.
Summary of key issues and options
5.
The attached paper (annex A) provides a report on the 2014-16 Joint Action
Plan. The key outcomes were: progress on putting in place effective
intelligence exchange and analysis regarding trends in the NHS workforce,
especially in relation to nursing, supporting the Government’s widening access
ambitions to medicine, and support for the intended changes to the ACT levy
for non UK and EU students studying medicine . The two organisations also
worked closely on possible changes to provision in pharmacy.
6.
One other important area of partnership work (but not included in the 2014-16
Joint Action Plan) is in the review of bursaries for dental students.
7.
The current Memorandum of Understanding has now expired, and the Chairs
and CEOs are content to approve the continuation of the MoU for a further 3
years. This partnership will be even more important in the next few years as the
financial pressures on the public sector continue, greater demands are made on
the health and social care providers in their delivery of services, and there is a
political focus on the delivery of primary care services (the MoU is attached at
Annex B).
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8.
The key priorities of the 2016-17 Joint Action Plan (Annex C) will continue to be
on strategic liaison and support for Scottish Government in training for the
existing and new roles in the health and social care workforce and in widening
access. The new plan also prioritises supporting SG policy developments in
relation to primary care; the addition of an action to support widening access to
dentistry; and a greater focus on the way in which the NES/SFC Group will
support the implementation plan for nursing education (“Setting the
Direction”).
Risk assessment
9.
The key risks associated with the delivery of the Joint Action Plan is ensuring
that the resources are available to undertake this work and to ensure robust
data is available to monitor progress towards key outcomes such as widening
access.
10. To mitigate against this risk, the Joint Action Plan Group monitor all actions on a
regular basis, and agree which actions should be prioritised. The Joint Action
Plan also includes greater collaboration on data collection and analysis, which
should not only improve our understanding of equality and diversity issues but
will also improve the evidence to base for the implementation of Government
policies related to the health and social care workforce.
Equality and diversity assessment
11. The Memorandum of Understanding and the revised Joint Action Plan set out
the high level strategic direction for partnership working between NES and the
SFC. Analysis of the relevance of this work to the equality duties and the wider
inequalities agenda highlights some specific areas where NES and the SFC can
work together to support improvements:
•
•
•
Activities related to data collection will improve the capacity for equalities
analysis.
Data collection will help to provide the evidence required to ensure that the
action plan supports the principles included in the BMA's 'Ensuring fairness in
clinical training and assessment', which was developed in response to the
judicial review of differential outcomes in the RCGP's Clinical Skills
Assessment, and has recommendations for both undergraduate and
postgraduate education.
Partnership work in a range of areas, and specific actions relating to widening
access to education in medicine and dentistry will further support the Scottish
Government's aims of reducing health inequalities, as well as widening access
to education.
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Financial implications
12. The actions within the 2016-17 Joint Action Plan may require both
organisations to commit resources to support the objectives. Both
organisations will need to discuss and approve (through their respective
governance systems) any associated financial implications. Elements of the plan
are therefore subject to the availability of funding in both organisations.
13. The Memorandum of Understanding includes a commitment from both
organisations to fund a joint post to lead on the Joint Action Plan. The SFC
contribution is funded from SFC’s running cost budget.
Recommendations
14. The Council is invited to:
• Note the progress with the 2014- 16 Joint Action plan.
• Approve the continuation of the Memorandum of Understanding.
• Consider and approve the 2016-17 Joint Action Plan.
Publication
15. This paper will be published on the Council website.
Further information
16. Contact: Helen Raftopoulos, tel: 0131 313 6577 email: [email protected].
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