Scarlett McNally: Simplifying teamworking and upskilling in the NHS

We’re in the middle of a healthcare workforce crisis. We also have an increasingly unfit and ageing population with multiple comorbidities, on record waiting lists. We expend huge resources on fixing conditions that should have been preventable. Can a better way of working help tackle these crises?Many doctors and senior clinicians spend over half their time on administrative or similar tasks that could be delegated to other team members,1 while often being too busy to ensure that patients’ basic health is optimised. The issue is that they have no one to delegate to.Doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, and pharmacists require degree level qualification and hone their clinical judgment and specialised skills with lifelong learning and experience. But not every healthcare worker needs to be an autonomous decision maker. Health education bodies are busy developing clinical roles including medical associate practitioners such as physician associates, who require years of expensive training…
Read Original Article: Scarlett McNally: Simplifying teamworking and upskilling in the NHS »