Core Areas of Work
1. Data Collection
2. Analysis of Business Plans
Data Collection, 31 March 2000
The West Midlands Local Medical Workforce Advisory Group (WM LMWAG) undertook the second annual collection of medical staff in all Trusts in the West Midlands as at the 31st March 2000. The dataset comprised
current number of staff in post for all career and training grade (both in head count and whole time equivalent)
vacancies over 3 months for both career grade and training grades
use of locums long than 6 months
number and whole time equivalent of career grade staff that are due to retire in 0 - 5, and 5 - 10 years
details of any non-standard career grades
details of consultants shared between Trusts
The data was collected by all the Education and Training Consorita in the West Midlands, and the results sent to Medical Directors and Directors of Public Health for validation.
In order to provide timely and accurate data for workforce planning purposes, the results were published in July 2000, and distributed to all Trusts, Health Authorities, Education and Training Consortia in the West Midlands, as well as the NHS Executive Regional Office and other national organisations with an interest in workforce planning. The results were made available on CD, floppy disc and in print.
The data enabled the WM LMWAG to assess how medical staffing is achieved, and highlighted where staffing issues within specialties and Trusts which needed to be addressed. In particular, the WM LMWAG was concerned with
single handed consultants, who are likely to be isolated professionally and mean cover within Trusts is difficult during periods of leave
use of non-standard grades, meaning the public and possibly hospital staff as well are confused as to the hierarcy of grades, this is particularly the case when incorporating training grade titles into career grade posts
long term use of locums, particularly where consultant posts have been filled long term by locums
low proportions of consultants to other grades, meaning that much treatment and care is provided by non-consultant staff.
High numbers of Staff Grades (the national norm is that these grades are 14% of consultant numbers).
Publications and other analysis resulting from the data collections can be seen in the publication page. The WM LMWAG collaborated with Richard Wilson in the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Birmingham in the analysis and publication of data.
In 1998, the WM LMWAG assessed the full business plans of Trusts in the West Midlands to assess the medical workforce planning component within the business plans. Results showed that there was little evidence of medical workforce planning and no common format used. Details of this review are found in chapter 9 of the WM LMWAG report 'Medical Workforce Planning - National Issues and Practice in the West Midlands' (view using Adobe Acrobat).
As a result, the WM LMWAG developed a framework for medical workforce planning and recommended this to Trust to use in the 1999 business planning round. The framework is detailed in Network 2. Further assessment has shown some Trusts used the framework in 1999 and 2000 to plan medical staffing.
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