An enterprising new partnership between the AHSN Network and Health Education England (HEE) is developing at pace.
After successful discussions, HEE and the AHSN Network have agreed to share expertise and work together across several common priorities at national and regional level.
The AHSNs bring proven expertise in supporting and facilitating the spread and adoption of evidenced innovation across healthcare pathways, as well as their well-established, place-based relationships across the country.
HEE brings a greater awareness of the national strategic growth plan for workforce transformation enshrined in We Are the NHS: People Plan 2020/21, sharing a range of proven methodologies, tools and enabling programmes along with its own, regionally-based knowledge and expertise and the already well established partnerships in relation to digital readiness.
One of the first areas of partnership will be the usage of the Star methodology – HEE’s model for workforce transformation. AHSN colleagues, having been trained in the methodology will then use the model to help system partners better understand and explore the workforce challenges implicit in embedding innovations within their pathway transformation work.
Kirstie Baxter, Head of Workforce Transformation at HEE said: “The AHSN Network and HEE have agreed to collaborate on their joint and common usage of the HEE Star as the accepted methodology in supporting health and care partners to explore, shape and prioritise the workforce challenge into deliverable, project-based solutions.
“HEE will train a cohort of experienced AHSN pathway transformation colleagues, who are specialists in this area, as both facilitators and trainers themselves. This really is an excellent opportunity to bring greater capacity to support systems address their workforce transformation challenges.”
Kathy Scott, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Yorkshire and Humber AHSN added: “The AHSNs, in their capacity as leaders in innovation spread and adoption for the NHS, are particularly looking forward to utilising the HEE Star proven methodology and the online, best-practice directory to provide even more support to system partners at local, regional and ICS level to embed workforce transformation alongside complementary pathway innovation going forwards.”
Other common priority areas being pursued by the partnership for delivery to the system include, Digital Readiness, Patient Safety, Technology Enhanced Learning and Genomics.