Every one of us – as patients or colleagues – has seen the incredible dedication and expertise of our health and care staff first-hand at some point in our lives.
But despite the deeply impressive commitment staff have shown over the last few difficult years, we know there are challenges ahead.
Many of the ‘baby boomers’ are retiring, and we need staff with the right skills to fill their shoes. At the same time, health and care are changing, with more opportunities through new technologies and a greater emphasis on preventing ill health.
Patients’ needs are changing too, as more of us live with complex needs and long-term conditions. The pandemic has also had a huge effect on our people’s health and wellbeing.
The People and Culture Strategy is helping to address these challenges. Developed by a wide-ranging partnership including the NHS, local government, education and voluntary sector bodies, as well as patients, staff and trade unions, it has a clear ambition: to make the North East and North Cumbria the best place to work in health and care.
It’s all built around key ‘pillars’ – to ensure we have enough skilled staff, take steps to retain them and support their wellbeing; to provide equitable and inclusive workplaces; to develop the next generation of leaders; and explore new ways of working, like better digital solutions and new ways to use our mix of skills.
With our partners across the region, we’re already making progress in many of these areas – check out the People and Culture Strategy web page for more information, short films and a summary of what is being done.
