Research and Intelligence Library

Skills for Health develops a range of regular assessments of the current and future skills needs of the health sector. These are developed using key national sources as well as a whole range of industry intelligence and bespoke surveys, consultation activities and industry sources.

As well as our assessment reports, Skills for Health also undertakes research into a range of themes chosen to address gaps in our knowledge of the sector and reflect the emerging needs and priorities of healthcare employers.

Health Sector Workforce Intelligence: UK reports

Full report - Skills for Health's second Sector Skills Assessment. This is a comprehensive UK-wide assessment of the health sector's skills and labour market position. It includes analysis of current skills demands, emerging skills priorities, horizon scanning and the drivers behind these developments. It also discusses how the health sector might meet current and future skills and employment challenges.

Summary report A summary of Skill's for Health's second Sector Skills Assessment. This is a comprehensive UK-wide assessment of the health sector's skills and labour market position. It includes analysis of current skills demands, emerging skills priorities, horizon scanning and the drivers behind these developments. It also discusses how the health sector might meet current and future skills and employment challenges.

Health Sector Workforce Intelligence: National reports

	England LMI and Skills - A report on the health sector workforce in England. It includes data on characteristics of the workforce and projections of future levels of employment in the sector. The report also discusses current skills demands, drivers behind these demands, emerging skills priorities and horizon scanning for skills developments opportunities in the future. Solutions for meeting future skills and employment challenges are also explored.
	Northern Ireland LMI and Skills - A report on the health sector workforce in Northern Ireland. It includes data on characteristics of the workforce and projections of future levels of employment in the sector. The report also discusses current skills demands, drivers behind these demands, emerging skills priorities and horizon scanning for skills developments opportunities in the future. Solutions for meeting future skills and employment challenges are also explored.
	Scotland LMI and Skills - A report on the health sector workforce in Scotland. It includes data on characteristics of the workforce and projections of future levels of employment in the sector. The report also discusses current skills demands, drivers behind these demands, emerging skills priorities and horizon scanning for skills developments opportunities in the future. Solutions for meeting future skills and employment challenges are also explored.
	Wales LMI and Skills - A report on the health sector workforce in Wales. It includes data on characteristics of the workforce and projections of future levels of employment in the sector. The report also discusses current skills demands, drivers behind these demands, emerging skills priorities and horizon scanning for skills developments opportunities in the future. Solutions for meeting future skills and employment challenges are also explored.

Health Sector Workforce Intelligence: Regional reports

	East Midlands - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the East Midlands. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	East of England - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the East of England. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	London - This is a regional report examining the health sector in London. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	North East - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the North East. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	North West - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the North West. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	South East - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the South East. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	South West - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the South West. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	West Midlands - This is a regional report examining the health sector in the West Midlands. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.
	Yorkshire and the Humber - This is a regional report examining the health sector in Yorkshire and the Humber. It examines a comprehensive range sector-related issues for the region, including demand for healthcare, the size and structure of the health sector, workforce characteristics, skills needs and projections of future levels of employment.

Research themes

	Urban and rural issues in Scotland Scotland’s health sector is dealing with the challenges of serving an aging, rural and remote population. Skills for Health has commissioned research to explore these issues to inform health delivery policy and skills development in Scotland and across the UK.
	Does training the wider workforce make a difference? This rapid review examines evidence from around the world about whether extending access to education and training for the wider healthcare workforce improves the productivity, quality and safety of services. The wider workforce includes both unlicensed support staff and corporate workers.
	Key changes in the Healthcare workforce This rapid review examines published evidence from around the world about the most common workforce changes in the fields of community mental health, health promotion, surgery and paediatrics.
	How do new technologies impact on workforce organisation? This rapid review examines how the introduction of new technologies changes the way healthcare staff and teams are organised and describes the process by which staff adopt new technologies. The focus is not on specific types of technology, but rather how introducing new tools changes how the workforce is put together to deliver services.
	Assistant Practitioners Expert Paper: This report provides an overview of the current position regarding Assistant Practitioners within the NHS. Assistant Practitioners occupy an intermediate position just below the level of professionally qualified staff but usually above Health Care Assistants. It discusses the background to this role, factors contributing to their introduction, and challenges and debates regarding their development.
	Understanding ‘turnover and wastage’ in the health sector: This report investigates movement between jobs in the health sector workforce, based on desk-based review of existing data and literature. It examines workforce movement in terms of turnover, wastage and new entrants.
	Understanding productivity and performance: The report provides an overview of the complexity of the issue of productivity in the health sector. It includes discussion of the measurement of productivity, how skills can enhance productivity, the use of high-quality evaluation techniques and comparisons of productivity across the UK.
	The ‘Hidden’ Workforce: This working paper explores the nature of volunteering in the health sector and the implications for its work. Whilst there is agreement that volunteers make particularly valuable contributions to the health sector, there is little reliable data on them. The report therefore investigates who volunteers, how many there are, what they do, what difference they make and how they are regarded by employed colleagues and patients.
	The ‘Hidden’ Workforce: This report presents the results of a survey conducted to examine health and social care volunteering in Northern Ireland. It discusses the contribution of volunteers, skills and employment issues, the impact of economic crises and current policy developments.

Future-oriented research

	Tomorrow’s workforce: A series of commentaries in which leading academic and health sector commentators offer their thoughts on what they see as the main skills and employment challenges confronting the health sector in the next five to ten years, and how the sector might respond.
	Rehearsing Uncertain Futures: Developed in conjunction with the Institute for Employment Studies, this report is a scenario planning exercise. It explores three possible futures in the period up to 2020, how the health sector might respond to the challenges presented by these scenarios and how the health sector can influence the emerging future and plan effectively for future skills requirements.
	Rehearsing Uncertain Futures: Following from the three future scenarios explored in the full Rehearsing Uncertain Futures report, this commentary discusses potential new roles and occupations that might emerge to meet demands of productivity and . It also includes observations around current developments such as technological innovations, government announcements and pioneering use of new roles by health care employers.
	Rehearsing Uncertain Futures – presentation of Skills for Health scenarios: This outlines Skills for Health’s three future scenarios for the health sector in 2020. These slides can be used by employers and stake holders to assist their thinking about the future of health care delivery in the UK. For further advice and support on the application of these scenarios to your organisation, or the generation of new scenarios contact Ian Wheeler on Ian.wheeler@skillsforhealth.org.uk.
	Rehearsing Uncertain Futures – Three Future Scenarios a detailed account: Following from the Rehearing Uncertain Futures report, this commentary outlines the three possibleThis outlines in full detail Skills for Health’s three future scenarios for the health sector in 2020. These scenarios can be used by employers and stake holders to assist their thinking about the future of health care delivery in the UK. For further advice and support on the application of these scenarios to your organisation, or the generation of new scenarios contact Ian Wheeler on Ian.wheeler@skillsforhealth.org.uk.

Other reports

	Key Findings from the 2008 Skills for the Workplace: This report outlines key findings relevant to the health sector from analysis of UKCES's Employer Perspectives Survey. It includes discussion of skills challenges, training, high performance working practices, vocational qualifications and perceptions of Sector Skills Councils.
	Relevant Findings: This report presents key findings relevant to the health sector from the 2007 National Employer Skills Survey for England. It includes discussion on the size and structure of the health sector, recruitment, skills gaps, training activity and workforce development, and employer engagement with government support.

Expert Papers

Clinical Leadership Discussion Paper: Developed with the University of Glasgow Business School, this paper examines the past, present and future of clinical leadership in the NHS.

Workforce planning and management