HEE priorities

HEE works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHSE/I to agree HEE’s priorities. These are set to cover:

COVID-19 response and recovery: In support of the NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2021/22 HEE will give priority to working collaboratively with its arms-length body partners, and with adaptability ensure a robust and agile response to the impact of COVID-19 on the NHS, its staff and its patients. Through the recovery phase, HEE and NHSE/I should work in partnership to align service redesign and workforce planning, embedding beneficial learning from the pandemic. In parallel, as far as possible, we will ensure future student graduation and trainee progression is restored to the expected academic schedule.

Government healthcare workforce priorities: HEE is expected to contribute to the 50,000 additional nurses programme and towards the Government’s ambition to increase the number of GP training places to 4,000 a year.

NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) delivery: HEE will take forward actions to increase the supply of people trained to fill the roles needed to bolster mental health and cancer and diagnostics services as outlined in the LTP. HEE will continue to lead work on implementing our actions set out in the NHS People Plan and on developing future People Plan proposal. This will include recognising the importance of continuing professional development.

With NHSE/I we will shape the Operating Model for people and workforce issues in the NHS with a particular focus on the developing role of ICSs.

Long term workforce planning and reform to services: HEE will lead a workforce planning process with NHSE/I which will inform a future health workforce strategy. We will continue

to reform professional education and work with NHSE/I on wider system transformation and leading support for workforce design, building capacity and capability to define innovative workforce solutions which optimise the use of resources.

Collaboration with social care: HEE will continue to develop its work with the social care system at all levels promoting an integrated approach to the health and social care workforce and support ICSs to join up their local workforce planning and development of health and social care.

Supply of Information: HEE will provide finance, activity and outcome information to DHSC to support in year financial discussions with DHSC and inform the next spending review.

These are carried through to the objectives in this Business Plan.