Retaining our staff: key to success in difficult times
The NHS is the biggest employer in Wales, providing a significant contribution to both the national and local economy.
The next five years will be a critical period of transformation in health and care services in Wales.
As highlighted in the Parliamentary Review of Health and Social Care in Wales (the Parliamentary Review) it is vital that there is a sea-change in the way services are designed and delivered. The workforce is key to both driving change and putting the NHS in Wales on a sustainable footing. People working within the NHS are our biggest asset.
Without their hard work and dedication, the health and care service would collapse. We need to think about the workforce we have today for our current service delivery requirements but also focus on creating a pipeline for the future, which will include many of today’s health and social care employees.
The key factors affecting the retention/staff experience of the workforce include:
- The NHS focusing on its current workforce and their ongoing development needs - more than 50% of today’s workforce will still be working in the health service in 2033.
- Having efficient and robust recruitment processes and an effective induction.
- Supporting leadership, staff health and well-being, and staff engagement initiatives.
- The flexibility to manage work-life balance; approaches need to be in place to facilitate appropriate and supportive responses by organisations to those needs.
- Effective management and development of future talent to ensure an engaged and adaptable workforce.
