Delivering development opportunities to NHS workers
Organisation overview
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTH) aims to provide outstanding healthcare to our local communities, to offer a range of high-quality specialised services to patients in Lancashire and South Cumbria, and to drive innovation through world-class education, training and research.
The Challenge
Nationally across the UK there is a growing shortage of registered nurses working within the NHS and with a growing demand for healthcare services owing to an ageing population with more complex care needs it is essential our trusts, the governing bodies, local authorities and government and higher education institutes work together to overcome the challenges this shortage presents.
In 2019 LTH were running a programme of work to understand the career aspirations for regional assistant practitioners and looking at how it could help them to achieve their goals and access training as a Nursing Associate (NA). However, during this process, it became clear that the Assistant Practitioners (APS) working within the region wanted to do training that would allow them to qualify as a registered nurse (RN).
While the trust already had apprenticeship provider status and an established pre-registration course delivery team, they needed support to develop and deliver an efficient pathway for assistant practitioners and nurse associates to become RNs.
Following a regional bid, the trust had a pot of funding from the Lancashire and South Cumbria People Board to support an increase in staff numbers and support apprenticeship salaries for regional NA and AP staff, but they needed a partner who could help provide training for these staff in a compressed time period.
Solution
Northumbria University was the first UK university to provide an 18-month nursing degree apprenticeship, approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), for those with previous experience working in a clinical setting.
However, Northumbria University was too far for LTH to send its students. So, the team at the university worked with LTH to train their staff in the delivery of the 18-month degree apprenticeship curriculum. Staff at the trust were paired with Northumbria lecturers and were given training to further develop the required skills to deliver the course. Throughout the programme Northumbria provided support and management for the LTH School of Nursing team to successfully deliver the modules to staff.
Impact
Since Sept 2020 the collaboratively delivered programme has seen six cohorts graduate, the latest in 2024. In total it has delivered 94 graduates into trusts and organisations across the North West.
Quotes
Kate Harrison, Head of Professional Education Development, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust
“The collaboration between Northumbria University and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has been a true partnership. Over the last four-years they have supported us in the delivery of almost 100 new nurses across the North West which will undoubtedly provide critical resource for the various organisations they have entered. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with the Northumbria team and we wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again should the opportunity arise.”
Jo Scarborough, Nursing Programmes Lead, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust
“The support we’ve received from Northumbria University has been absolutely invaluable and is part of the reason we’ve seen this programme yield such remarkable success.
“While we had the infrastructure in place to deliver apprenticeships at the trust we really benefitted for the knowledge and experience Northumbria brought to the table. Their staff have been incredible and the training they provided allowed us to make sure our staff were comfortable delivering the 18-month course to our students.”
Karen Corder, Assistant Professor in Nursing at Northumbria University:
“This 18-month apprenticeship route is available to nursing associates, assistant practitioners or those with other relevant experience within a clinical environment and is designed to give valuable staff already working within the NHS the chance to develop their skills and ultimately qualify as a registered nurse. It really is a vital part of overcoming the current workforce challenges we face nationally.
“The work we’ve done to deliver the course through Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is a really good example of how we can work with trusts further afield to support their workforce development efforts. It also highlights our willingness to adapt and find solutions to make the programme as accessible as possible, to as many people as possible. It’s been absolutely fantastic to work with LTH over the past four years and great to see everyone’s hard work generate such successful outcomes.”
Student feedback
Marion Kilgallon
I have really enjoyed the course, we have learnt a lot and there has been great opportunities to develop. The tutors on the programme were very knowledgeable and supportive, they are always there when you need them. The tutors were all amazing!
Katie Svarc
We feel prepared from the programme to progress into our first registered nurse role.
Humair Masood
The placement areas have provided great opportunities to learn a lot.
