The National Pathology Programme has set up a ‘pilot’ study in the three health boards in SE Wales to look at how this type of role could support training and education in pathology in NHS Wales, and address some of the current issues around the capacity to train the present and future workforce. This is included in the Programme’s strategy and action plan to develop pathology workforce sustainability, training and education (due to be published shortly) and aligns with the HEIW Diagnostics Workforce Plan that is being developed.
The ’pilot’ will explore how a PEF could support pathology training structures and teams within a health board/trust or region with, for example, in-house training, placements and careers outreach, and will document the benefits and impact that such a role can bring. It will also support collaboration between the health boards and sharing of training best practice. If the pilot is successful, the role could be extended across pathology in Wales to all health boards and trusts.
We are very pleased that Tahir Mohammad has recently taken up post as the PEF for the ‘pilot’– his bio is at the end of this newsletter. He has started to meet with Pathology Training Leads and training officers in the three health boards, and with colleagues in NHS England about the successful implementation of its PEF programme and network. He will also be linking in with PEFs in other professions in NHS Wales. We will provide regular updates as this work progresses in future editions of the newsletter.
Thanks go out to the Pathology Training Leads and officers and to colleagues in HEIW for their support in setting up this ‘pilot’.