04.04.17
Why training and development has an important role to play in NHS finance
Source: NHE Mar/Apr 17
Paul Briddock, director of policy at the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), discusses the benefits of training and development in NHS finance for health professionals.
The news agenda has been awash with headlines about the current state of NHS finances. The sector is facing severe pressure and the most recent results from NHS Improvement show those on the frontline have a challenge ahead in trying to keep services going while also delivering on efficiencies. Staff in the NHS have done a remarkable job in trying to keep services afloat during a busy winter. However, the 4.3% rise in A&E attendances and an increase in delayed discharge has meant hospitals have been overwhelmed.
These challenges need to be tackled by the whole sector collaboratively. The current financial situation is already having an impact on the quality of services, with longer waiting times, overcrowded hospitals and missed targets across the UK. In order to alleviate the pressure and ultimately reverse the situation, making sure the whole NHS workforce has an understanding of the financial background will be key.
Training all staff in the basics of NHS finance, the current climate and the job in hand will help contribute to a better understanding of how this impacts their daily roles and patient care. It means clinicians will have the background and skills to implement their part of the plans relating to sustainability and transformation at ground level. Finance staff at all levels should be financially literate, but the upskilling of general management, clinicians, nurses, GPs, practice managers, other healthcare professionals and non-executive directors will go a long way to ease the sometimes conflicting pressures.
To help tackle the demand for practical and effective support for professionals in the NHS, HFMA has developed a set of unique qualifications in Healthcare Business and Finance. The qualifications will build on the skills and knowledge of those already working in the service, across all areas.
The efficiencies the service is looking to make are not just the responsibility of finance teams alone, so it’s important we create a unified NHS. By opening up finance education to the whole sector, a greater understanding will be achieved across the board and change may be swifter. Finance professionals face a difficult task, and it’s important the sector recognises the enormous job they have in considering the financial implications of every single clinical decision that is made. Non-clinical staff may not directly save lives, but the clinicians who do require their expertise and seamless support in the background.
The NHS is known for its dedication to CPD. Training and qualifications are a route to improve career prospects, as well as performance. Offering key learning opportunities is important to help get the best out of people. It helps them to feel valued, invested in and confident of the job they are doing.
Ultimately, creating an informed and united workforce will help take NHS finance in the direction we need it to go. In order for health professionals at ground level to implement the plans put in place to provide savings, we need to give them the knowledge to understand how the situation can be turned around. Only by continuing to invest in the NHS workforce will we be able to tackle the difficult challenges in the year ahead and ensure the long-term stability of today’s health service.
For more information
To learn more about the HFMA’s commitment to developing healthcare business and finance skills, visit:
W: www.hfma.org.uk/education-events/hfma-qualifications