The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is broadly welcoming of the new NHS People Plan detailing provision for the next 18 months. We feel that it’s focus is correct, and we applaud the aim of maintaining some of the positive innovations which developed during the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. There remain some concerns as to deliverability and the translation of these objectives into on the ground reality, but we look forward to playing our part in ensuring this happens.
We in particular wish to highlight the objective of continuing the support measures for staff introduced during the pandemic such as bereavement counselling and ‘wobble rooms’. We are further very supportive of the pledges to support staff wellbeing, including with psychological support, the provision of safe spaces for rest and recuperation and the appointment by every Trust of a wellbeing guardian. The RCSEd has a long history of championing staff wellbeing such as our anti-bullying work and we are happy to see this get the prioritisation it deserves.
The belonging in the NHS stream is also welcome, rightly acknowledging the wonderful and vital role that Black, Asian and other ethnic minority staff play. The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted that we still have some distance to travel to reach our aim of a truly equal society and it is right and important that the NHS has recognised this and pledged to build openness and inclusivity within British healthcare.
We are also supportive of moves to incorporate new ways of working from the pandemic such as greater use of e-consultations and new frameworks on staff ratios and deployment. The focus on expanding the NHS to meet the needs of an aging population is also laudable.
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh was founded in 1505.It is the oldest Surgical College in the world with just over 31,000 members in 100 countries, almost half of whom are overseas, touching every stage of the career path from medical student to consultant. We are a family of Surgeons, Dental Surgeons and members of the Surgical and Dental teams who put Patient Safety at the heart of everything they do. Our high quality education and examinations ensure that standards are upheld across all specialities and in all countries.
With our interest in professional standards, the College’s primary role – and the main concern of our Fellows and Members – is to ensure the safety of our patients and provide them with the best possible care. We do this by championing the highest standards of surgical and dental practice; through our provision of courses and educational programmes, training, examinations, and Continuous Professional Development; our liaison with external medical bodies; and by influencing healthcare policy across the UK.
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Issued by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. For further information, please contact comms@rcsed.ac.uk