Plans to better engage NHS staff and empower them to lead reform of the health service have been outlined by the government.
The plans follow a back-to-the-floor work-shadowing exercise conducted by health minister Andy Burnham throughout the second half of 2006.
Over this period, he spent seven days with workers to get an insight into the day-to-day experiences of frontline staff.
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Burnham said: “The NHS is changing, but the structures to help staff through changing times have not always kept pace. I hope this report will be the start of a continuing dialogue I hope to have with the NHS about how staff can be better supported through change.”
The report has led to new proposals, including:
- Consideration of what additional support can be offered to staff facing new roles as more care is delivered in the community and outside hospitals.
- A review by the NHS Staff council of how Agenda for Change is benefiting NHS staff on the lowest pay in terms of pay and access to training.
- Proposals for an ‘NHS constitution’ – a binding expression of NHS core values expressed in a constitution that could lead to adoption in 2008.
