Throughout this review of our activities during 2007/08 you will find many excellent examples of how Skills for Health is working successfully with partnerships and health sector employers across the UK to bring about real change in the way skill needs are being identified and addressed.
In Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and across the regions of England the use of workforce competences is producing effective results within public, private and voluntary parts of the health sector as we implement the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) at national and regional level.
The Leitch Review sets out very clearly the central role of SSCs in bringing together key partners, employers and wider stakeholders at all levels around the common agenda of developing an effective healthcare workforce for the future. We look forward in particular to the implementation of the Joint Investment Framework in England which will help convert the SSA into action with an annual injection of up to £100 million to address skills gaps and shortages.
As well as working with the new Commission for Employment and Skills and the Health Sector Strategic Alliance, we have reviewed our own structures to ensure we are equipped to be the authoritative voice of health sector employers through our network of staff operating across the UK countries and English regions.
The next 12 months will be very much about continuing our partnership working and building on what we have achieved so far. We will be concentrating on achieving wider implementation of the competence based projects that have demonstrated benefits for patients across our demonstrator sites in 2007/2008. I have no doubt that the coming year will be both challenging and rewarding.
Chris Hannah
Chair, Skills for Health
