Skills for Health has published a range of labour market intelligence manuals, which provide valuable information for anyone who wants to keep up to date with the latest drivers of change in the health sector and associated labour market trends. The manuals cover the NHS, voluntary sector, the independent sector and additional reports are in progress for each region in England. They are designed to give a comprehensive overview of the local and national labour market, highlighting key workforce issues.
New research commissioned by the UK Workforce Hub and sponsored by Skills for Health has identified the main skills gaps and skills shortages faced by employers in the voluntary healthcare sector in England.
The research examined the nature, scope and impact of skills gaps and shortages in paid employees within the voluntary sector in 2007. In terms of skills gaps - where healthcare employers in the voluntary sector report having employees who are not fully proficient at their job - the top three gaps cited were:
Two-fifths of employers report an ‘increased time taken to deliver work' as a result of their employees' skills gaps, but the most frequently reported impact was ‘increased workload'. The voluntary sector has seen a massive increase in paid employees coming into the sector due to better funding and closer partnership between the third sector and publicly funded services.
Contributing to the overall labour data picture in England is the Skills for Health LMI study of the independent sector. The results show that of the 42,500 organisations in England, three-quarters comprise:
The role of independent health sector providers in delivering contracted services on behalf of the NHS is set to increase. However there is recognition in the independent sector of the potential capacity to deliver NHS targets, where skills shortages are a barrier. Of the 435 independent healthcare organisations surveyed in England, 68% thought skills shortages over the past three years had not changed.
The North West report is one of a set of nine being produced for all of the English regions, and is a useful resource for anyone interested in understanding the healthcare sector at a regional and sector level.
Key highlights for the North West include:
In comparison with other regions in England, the healthcare sector in the North West has
For further details of the reports see http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/
