IM&T Graduate Pathway in the NHS - Provision of a Local Area Model that can be Expanded Nationally

The Building A Digital Ready Workforce (BDRW) Programme is one of the 33 Digital Transformation Portfolio (DTP) programmes, the portfolio of programmes commissioned by the National Information Board (NIB) to deliver on the strategic objectives originally set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View (FYFV) and the Personalised Health and Care 2020 Framework (PHC2020). It is joint led by NHS Digital, Health Education England and NHS England and has an end of March 2021.

The FYFV made a commitment that, by 2020, there would be "fully interoperable electronic health records so that patients' records are paperless". This was supported by a Government commitment in PHC2020 that "all patient and care records will be digital, interoperable and real-time by 2020". all this requires information to flow more effectively across health and care to support the delivery of direct patient care and it requires a workforce who are equipped with the skills, knowledge, values and behaviours to lead and undertake this change and work within this environment. The BDRW programme delivers upon the workforce elements of PHC2020 and its scope is across the entirety of health and care (1.6 million social care staff, 1.4 million NHS staff in England).

Subsequently, the Martha Lane Fox Review for NIB in 2016 pointed to the need to develop the basic digital skills of the NHS workforce to ensure that everyone has the digital skills needed to support people's health needs. Additionally, the Wachter Review for the Secretary of State (SoS) in 2016 recognised a lack of clinical and non-clinical informatics professionals (notably CIO, CCIO level) to deliver change, and led to the SoS making a commitment to establish a NHS Digital Academy, one of the key deliverables of the BDRW programme.

In summary, the outcomes we are aiming towards: • Improved change/transformation programmes e.g. due to: - More effective leadership decision making resulting from leadership campaigns for NHS Trust and care boards, based on an understanding of digital issues that include data security. - CIOs/CCIOs being equipped with the skills and knowledge to perform their roles effectively, including those relating to health information systems & technologies; user-centred design & citizen-driven informatics; leadership & transformational change; and decision-support, knowledge management & data analytics. • Improved quality of services; e.g., due to digital literacy skills as an enabler for better quality care resulting from increased capability and competence, better understanding of data, information, knowledge and technology, better decision making; and a more flexible workforce. • An environment where the 'informatics contribution' outside day-to-day clinical work plays a part in supporting the revalidation process. • Improved staff satisfaction, recruitment & retention; e.g., due to opportunities for individuals to advance their careers with clear opportunities and career paths, and recognition of thei