Redesign

Discovery Work

A recent research report in the Medical Teacher called Hitting the target and missing the point? A BEME systematic review of evidence regarding the efficacy of statutory and mandatory training in health and care: BEME Guide No. 87 provides a summary of secondary research across 4,425 related academic studies completed.   This strongly concluded that there is very little evidence (from UK or global sources) that mandating training delivers improved outcomes

Global work on safety concluded that training is the least effective intervention and instead the best way to reduce the number of incidents is to use a Hierarchy of Controls.  This sets out that system focused change (or designing risk out) is most effective and people focused change least effective, with education and training rating less effective of these.  This does not mean that training does not have a role to play but that its effectiveness needs to be considered alongside other interventions to improve outcomes.

Work being undertaken

The following workstreams are currently underway: 

• New governance framework
• Summarising relevant legislation and regulation (statutory obligations).
• Defining outcomes (being adverse incidents, risks of harm and resultant productivity loss) that mandatory training aims to improve.
• New assurance process to balance investment of staff time with improved outcomes
• Work with nationally appointed subject matter experts to build evidence based cases
• Vision and design principles, co-developed with stakeholders
• Review of all possible education delivery methods

If you have any queries, please contact england.statmand@nhs.net.