Celebrating 3 Years of NHS Scotland Academy
This year we are delighted to celebrate our 3rd anniversary, marking an incredible period of contributions and support to the NHS in Scotland.
Since opening our doors in 2021, we have played a vital role in the training and education of healthcare staff and learners all across the country, improving the standard of care available to patients everywhere.
During this time, we have established 14 dedicated training programmes across multiple professions and specialities.
The Academy has accomplished some incredible milestones, including:
- More than 23,000 health and social care staff from health boards across Scotland have now undertaken training through the Academy, or used Academy resources.
- More than 2,000 people have now accessed the Cultural Humility digital resource, supporting inclusive and respectful healthcare practices.
- More than 1,500 individuals have undertaken the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) OSCE Preparation course. This prepares international NMC OSCE Prep Participants. Preparing international nurses, midwives, and educators for successful integration into the NHS.
- More than 1,800 Pharmacists have been upskilled via the National Clinical Skills for Pharmacy Programme, allowing them to support local healthcare services and carry out basic diagnostics on a range of conditions.
- More than 200 individuals have been trained through the National Ultrasound Training Programme, with more than 10,000 patients being treated.
- More than 300 people through the National Endoscopy Training Programme, with more than 2,000 patients benefitting from this service.
- More than 140 individuals have benefitted from the range of Perioperative Workforce Programmes, strengthening surgical teams across the country.
This has only been possible thanks to the teamwork, creativity and commitment of our entire team, and is just the beginning of what we can accomplish.
For more information, visit: NHSScotlandAcademy.co.uk.
Thousands Benefit from Digital Health and Social Care Resources
Thousands of learners from across Scotland have benefitted from our innovative Preparing for Work in Health and Social Care programme.
First launched in 2021 these dedicated digital resources are designed to assist individuals who are new to Health and Social Care, as well as those applying for the first time, helping get more people into the national workforce.
More than 12,000 people interested in a career in healthcare have used the programme in the 3 years since its launch, marking a major milestone in the Academy’s mission to address workforce needs in the health and social care sectors.
For more information, visit this link.
Accelerated Perioperative Programmes
Our suite of accelerated training programmes continue to demonstrate a very positive impact across services with some amazing feedback from learners, supervisors and services across NHS Scotland.
100% of managers who have had experience with the programme agreed that this has increased learner abilities in the workplace and have made a positive impact on their service.
Learner places are filling up fast, with many programmes currently oversubscribed.
We currently have availability for the following Perioperative programmes:
- Foundations of Perioperative Practice (RNs) starting on 25 January 2025 Cohort
- Assistant Perioperative Practitioner (Healthcare Support Worker Career level 2/3) starting on 25 January 2025 Cohort
- Surgical First Assistant programme (experienced Registered Nurses and Operating Department Practitioners) starting on 27January 2025 Cohort
- Anaesthetic Practitioner programme (Registered Nurses) starting on 3 March 2025
Please direct recruitment enquiries to NTCProgrammeMailbox@gov.scot.
For more information, please visit: https://www.nhsscotlandacademy.co.uk/programmes/
Biomedical Science Training Programme - Applications Open!
We are now accepting applications for the second cohort of our Biomedical Science Registration Training Portfolio Programme which runs from 4 February to 12 March 2025.
This is Scotland’s first national Biomedical Scientist training programme for graduates from non-applied Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) accredited degrees (those without a clinical placement), and it has the official endorsement of the Institute of Biomedical Science.
The programme supports trainees to complete their IBMS Registration Training Portfolio (RTP) and prepare for Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration as Biomedical Scientists.
Delivered online with 11 day-release sessions, the course works in partnership with NHS Scotland’s IBMS-approved laboratories to provide trainees with a positive, quality-assured learning experience.
Eligibility:
- Employed as a Trainee Biomedical Scientist in an IBMS-approved NHS Scotland laboratory.
- Ready to undertake the IBMS Registration Training Portfolio.
- Trained on OneFile.
- Supported by their employer to attend all 11 day-release sessions.
Applications close Monday 20 January 2025. For more details and to apply, contact nhsscotlandacademy@nhs.scot.
High Volume Cataract Resources
Working in collaboration with the national Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), we have created a range of digital resources support implementation of Step 7 of High Volume Cataract Surgery (HVCS) Blueprint: Create a High Performing Team.
The Blueprint, laid out in the publication Improving the Delivery of Cataract Surgery in Scotland: a Blueprint for Success lays out a series of principles and practical actions to support health boards across the country to deliver high volume, high quality, specialist care.
It assists with role development for both registered and unregistered team members in 4 key units:
- Consent
- Marking the skin
- Prepping and Draping
- Eye Drop Administration
National Ultrasound Training Programme Continues to Expand
We have continued to expand our National Ultrasound Training Programme, with more than 100 individuals undergoing immersive training and over 10,000 patients now having benefited from the programme.
The National Ultrasound Training Programme is an innovative training collaboration that is playing a vital role in supporting the NHS Scotland Radiology Recovery Plan by significantly boosting ultrasound training numbers across the country.
For more information, visit the Programme page on our website at this link.
National Endoscopy Training Programme runs Live Complex Polypectomy Training
We are delighted with the new endoscopy rooms that form part the new surgical centre in NHS Golden Jubilee. Two of the five rooms are dedicated for use by the National Endoscopy Training Programme (NETP), enabling us to offer courses and immersion training to more people whilst running endoscopy lists with patients being seen in both rooms.
On 10 December we ran lists for patients requiring complex polypectomy in both rooms and, with support and permission from the patients, invited over 85 Gastroenterologists, Colorectal Surgeons and nurse-endoscopists to a teaching event in the hotel auditorium, where Anderval and our NETP faculty taught best-practice using the live cases and with live video links facilitating interaction with the teams undertaking procedures in the two endoscopy rooms. The new facilities have made teaching on this scale possible, as the commitment and vision of the programme leads comes to fruition.
For more information on the NETP, visit the Programme page on our website.
Merry Christmas from NHS Scotland Academy
