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New Health Education England Mandate defines goals for 2019-2020

12 July 2019

Health Education England has today been given itsMandate by the Government, showing its fundamental role in helping to improve the quality of healthcare and create more fulfilling roles and careers for those working in the health service by ensuring that education, training and professional development equip staff with the skills needed for a 21st century healthcare system.

HEE and NHS England and NHS Improvement are committed to working much more closely together at both national and regional levels, building shared partnerships with local health systems and our wider partners and stakeholders to deliver the vision and immediate actions set out in the interim People Plan.

The mandate for 2019-2020 is published at the same time as HEE releases itsannual report and accounts for 2018-2019, marking a year of significant achievements to improve patient care.

Highlights include recruiting 3,473 GP trainees - the largest number in NHS history; recruiting 5,000 trainee nursing associates and welcoming the first graduates into the new profession; and recruiting more than 1,000 extra nurses to HEE's Return to Practice programme.

Top priorities in today's Mandate - the first developed jointly by HEE and NHS England and NHS Improvement - build on the Interim People Plan published in June.

The Mandate sets out HEE’s commitment to:-

  • Making the NHS place the best place to work, working with higher education institutions and other partners to continue improving the experience of people undertaking education and training;
  • Increasing the nursing workforce by expanding routes into the profession, attracting more undergraduates, improving support and changing perceptions;
  • Building more multidisciplinary teams and a more flexible workforce to meet modern and emerging healthcare needs, and launching a national consultation to establish what the NHS, patients and the public want from 21st-century doctors;
  • Supporting targeted action to prevent ill-health, improve patient safety, transform mental health and learning disability services, improve cancer outcomes and transform urgent and emergency care;
  • Working more closely with national, regional and system partners to develop a more coherent approach to workforce policy and planning
  • Continue to welcome EU workers.

Sir David Behan, Chair, Health Education England, said: "We are confident this mandate, under our new working arrangements with NHS England and NHS Improvement, is more closely aligned than ever with the needs of NHS patients and the public, as well as HEE's longer-term goals.

The mandate sets out the key delivery priorities for the current year whilst also signalling our ambition to support the development of more joined up care with staff working together in multi professional teams. HEE will work across the system to ensure that education and training is in place to support this transformation and prepare the workforce for this future."

Professor Ian Cumming OBE, Chief Executive, Health Education England, said: "As our annual report shows, the last year has seen real progress in terms of meeting our recruitment objectives, developing routes into employment and identifying training goals for the future. 

"The changing needs of patients, together with advances in science and technology, mean that we not only need more people, we need new ways of working. HEE has a fundamental role to play in improving the quality of healthcare, and we look forward to the continued task of creating fulfilling lifelong careers through first-class education and training.".

Baroness Dido Harding, Chair, NHS Improvement, said:

“Health Education England, NHS England and NHS Improvement are committed to speaking with one voice, offering the NHS and its people a clear direction of travel to better serve patients and deliver the Long Term Plan.

“Together, we are working with local health systems, frontline staff and stakeholders to deliver the immediate actions set out in the interim People Plan to help make the NHS the best place to work.”

Health Education England is responsible for £4bn of funding to deliver its priorities.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-education-england-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-2019

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-education-england-mandate-2019-to-2020