Learning and development team shortlisted for top national award

A successful project to deliver training and support development of staff at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

The Learning and Development Team, who are based in the Norwich Union (NU) building at Derriford, have been shortlisted down to the final nine in the Value and Improvement in Training and Development category of the national HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards 2014.

In partnership with clinical teams, the Learning and Development Team undertook a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) to help them understand the existing level of knowledge and skills within our clinical team. This work revealed where the gaps were and what additional training would be required to meet service needs.

Sarah Hockey, Learning and Development Lead at Plymouth Hospitals, said: “Using the data from the analysis, we were able to target training which would have the greatest impact on our patient care. This included delivering a wider variety of training, including accredited programmes, for our Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) and a range of clinical skills.

“We have increased the use of e-learning, which enabled us to reduce face to face training and it also allowed staff to access their development in a more flexible way. We are now utilising the South West Learning Platform, which contains more than 3,000 learning packages developed by higher education institutions, further education colleges and healthcare trusts within the South West Peninsula.

“The TNA is a flexible tool, which has provided us with critical information to enabled increased quality, whilst reducing cost and building a resilient workforce for the future.

“We are so pleased to have been shortlisted in these awards and for the recognition of the work of the staff who have delivered this training and support.”

Sarah travelled to London earlier this month, along with Karen Grimshaw, Associate Director of Nursing, to present their case and explain why they should win. They now have to wait until September to find out whether they have won. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 23 September at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

The new HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards seek to recognise and reward outstanding efficiency and improvement by the NHS. A successor to the HSJ Efficiency Awards, the Value in Healthcare Awards continue to recognise excellent use of resources. But they also seek out examples of demonstrable improvement in outcomes, both within back office functions and clinical initiatives.