NHS board projected staff in post changes for 2018-2019

4. Methodology

The data are provided by NHS boards via a secure on-line system which contains automated checks to flag possible discrepancies. Boards are responsible for quality assuring their own data.

In conjunction with the staff projection narrative provided, data returns are then evaluated by Workforce Planning Policy, and Health and Social Care Analysis. Where appropriate, NHS boards are consulted to provide further clarification.

Workforce planning is a statutory requirement and was established in NHSScotland in 2005 with the inception of HDL (2005) 52: National Workforce Planning Framework 2005 - Guidance, which provided boards with a base for establishing workforce planning as a key element of the wider planning systems within NHSScotland. The Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning is the high-level approach used by the workforce planning community across NHSScotland. The six steps comprise:

• defining the plan;
• service change;
• defining the required workforce;
• workforce capability;
• action plan; and
• Implementation and monitoring.

All NHS boards are expected to discuss their workforce projections with their local area partnership forums ( APF). However, given the timetable for the publication of these data, it is appreciated that some boards will not yet have completed these discussions. It is expected that all APF discussions on workforce projections will be completed by early October 2018.

Data will continue to be collected and reported on as part of the on-going process of workforce planning. These figures are estimates and as a result may change.