The workforce crisis is perhaps now the biggest challenge that the health and care sector has ever faced.
The pandemic has exacerbated the pre-existing workforce issues around supply and attrition, and also expedited decision-making when it comes to life choices given the intensity of the last 2 years, resulting in further gaps in key roles.
Although technology is changing healthcare, it is and will remain, a people-driven organisation. But the growing demand for care and the immense stresses placed on the healthcare workforce has worsened the global workforce crisis. In response, the same tired approaches are often proposed: to either hire or train, more doctors and nurses. But there are only a finite number of healthcare professionals in the world, while current training approaches are lengthy.
To address these challenges the healthcare workforce of the future will consist of a more diverse array of roles and people will be trained differently. To support inclusive healthcare systems, organisations will become employee-centric, improving digital enablement to liberate health professionals from routine work, and supporting the workforce to build the skills they need for the future.
