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Katherine Murphy, Chief Executive of the Patients Association, responded to the Nuffield Trust’s latest report, ‘Reshaping the Workforce’

“The Patients Association recognises that there is a desperate need for workforce planning. The dynamics of the health and social care arena are ever changing. The proposed new roles and extra responsibilities for existing staff should not be adopted as a “quick fix” solution to the complex staffing problems within the NHS, nor be seen as a cheaper alternative to highly qualified staff.

“These proposals will not solve the shortage of skilled doctors and nurses across the health service and should not aim to do so. Instead, the government needs to do more to invest in the training and retaining of these qualified practitioners.

“If the proposals are implemented then it is important that all practitioners understand where the boundaries lie between the various roles, and that staff at every level are regulated to ensure that patient safety is not compromised. The nurses and carers will need to recognise when to refer on patients to more high-qualified or experienced staff.

“Care should be taken to ensure that patients are not confused by the emerging new roles and responsibilities, and that they know who is caring for them. Patients will need to be given information about the care that they can expect from different levels of carers and nurses, and to be made aware that they perhaps will not always be treated by a doctor.

“On a positive note, it is good to see a recognition of the skills and expertise that nurses bring to the health and social care arena, and we also welcome the use of more support staff who can play an active, and therefore more fulfilling, role in patient care.

The Nuffield Trust was commissioned by NHS Employers to examine how best NHS staffing can be reorganised to support new ways of delivering care to patients. The authors conducted a survey of local Health Education England (HEE) leaders, examined a number of case studies around the country, convened an expert seminar, interviewed a wide range of stakeholders, and carried out a review of relevant literature.

Press Comment – Response to Nuffield Trust’s Reshaping the Workforce