NHS Scotland Academy Newsletter

Welcome

Welcome to the first edition of the NHS Scotland Academy Newsletter, keeping you up to date with all the latest developments, success stories and upcoming events.

The NHS Scotland Academy is an exciting partnership between NHS Golden Jubilee and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) that supports the transformation and sustainability of the health and social care workforce by providing accelerated, needs driven, learning and development.

Formally launched on 21 October 2021 by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf, the NHS Scotland Academy focuses initially on supporting the immediate workforce priority needs of NHSScotland, playing a key role in the implementation and success of NHSScotland’s Recovery Plan.

Drawing on the strengths of both parent organisations, NHS Scotland Academy combines the state-of-the-art clinical and simulation facilities at NHS Golden Jubilee with the educational expertise and technology-enabled learning offered by NHS Education for Scotland.

This partnership provides learners with the training and facilities to improve their skills in specific areas through residential, distance and virtual learning, delivered through a hub and spoke model for the benefit of our health and social care workforce.

For more information, visit: www.nhsscotlandacademy.co.uk

National Clinical Skills for Pharmacists Programme Success

A new training programme is providing pharmacists across Scotland with additional skills required to assess, advise and treat patients for a range of minor illnesses and common clinical conditions, to support delivery of the NHS Scotland Pharmacy First Plus service. This programme, developed by NHS Education for Scotland and Dundee Clinical Skills Centre, has delivered 435 delegate places to date, with 15 delegates attending each day.

The continued success of this programme supports NHSScotland’s recovery through significantly increasing ease of access to healthcare support in local communities, reducing attendance and pressure at NHS services such as GP surgeries, out of hours and Accident and Emergency.

More information on this programme is coming soon. 

Launch of Preparation for Health and Social Care Programme

The Preparation for Work in Health and Social Care Programme is now live. This innovative programme has been developed by the NHS Scotland Academy at the request of the Scottish Government to provide those waiting to start work in both Health and Social Care roles access to modules that will equip them with the confidence, context and understanding to begin their role. So far, 5 weeks in, the resource has been used by 152 new staff from 12 NHS Boards, 3 Health and Social Care Partnerships, and a number of third sector care organisations.

The smartphone-compatible modules feature interactive learning, such as quizzes, with certificates available after learners have completed the content. Click here to find out more about the Preparation for Health and Social Care Programme 

National Endoscopy Training Programme

Since its launch in September 2021, the National Endoscopy Training Programme (NETP) has been making considerable progress. The Programme addresses the challenges faced within Endoscopy and NHSScotland by providing accelerated workforce training and increase the number of endoscopists in Scotland.

Supporting the remobilisation of basic endoscopy courses

The successful Basic Endoscopy Courses restarted in August 2021 in both Dundee and Stobhill Hospital. As part of this relaunch, 8 courses were delivered, covering Colonoscopy and one Upper Gastrointestinal Series (GI) Course.

The first upper GI Basic Skills Course is due to run at Stobhill early February 2022, with more information to be announced in the coming weeks.

Upskilling courses

NETP delivered the first session of Colonoscopy upskilling courses in November 2021 and the second in January 2022, with 12 trainers from around Scotland attending the course as participants. The training has received extremely positive feedback from both learners and trainers, with all those taking part having agreed to join a new Scottish Endoscopy Faculty to support the delivery of future courses.  

Recruiting trainers and immersion training

2022 will see the continued development of this programme, with plans ranging from the recruitment of more trainers, to the development of immersion training which is set to take place this year at NHS Golden Jubilee.

Keep a lookout on future editions of this newsletter and all of our social media channels for the latest news on the NETP, including the development of our Endoscopy Assistant programme.

Click here to find out more about the National Endoscopy Training Programme

National Treatment Centres’ Accelerated Workforce Programme: the Foundations of Perioperative Practice

The Academy has been working collaboratively with the Scottish Government and partners to support the National Treatment Centres Programme (NTC) through accelerated workforce development.

The first priority of the programme is currently being delivered through the Foundations of Perioperative Practice course. The course, which runs over 6 months, and provides registered nurses with the tools, strategies and awareness of human factors to support the delivery of safe patient care.

The programme has 11 delegates part way through their training, with the next 11 starting on 1 February.  Two more cohorts will start the programme this year.

Click here to find out more about the National Treatment Centres' Accelerated Workforce Programme