LJMU working for Women’s Health Partnership

09 August 2010

LJMU, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust and Skills for Health have launched an innovative new academic framework which will support advanced practice in Women’s Health and help cut NHS costs.

This partnership work has formed an opportunity for medical, nursing and allied health professionals to concentrate on relevant work based learning skills while they receive specialist support.

Michelle Laing, Head of Department, LJMU Faculty of Health and Applied Social Sciences commented: “The programme will provide continuous professional development opportunities, while enhancing knowledge and skills clinically. Its flexibility is perfect for busy clinicians and practitioners as learning packages can be individually chosen specific to a role or career development at Masters and Undergraduate levels or even stand alone workshops."

Magdeleine Herod, Project Manager for the design and development of the course and the Skills for Health Co-ordinator, Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust commented:

"This fantastic partnership development work will have a major impact on improving patient care and reducing inefficiencies by preparing frontline patient care staff in the skills they need to tackle women’s health issues, therefore reducing NHS costs. Approximately £124 million per year is spent by the NHS in tackling conditions that affect women significantly more. For example urinary tract infections make up 20% of all hospital acquired infections and up to 3% of GP visits. The learning packages will be key in reducing figures like this in women’s health."

Dr Paul Blakeman, Divisional Manager of Qualifications, Skills for Health, added: "This partnership demonstrates excellent development work between higher education institutions and employers, ensuring that the learning design principles influencing the framework are demand led."

The packages are aligned with the Skills for Health Competences and the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework.

About Skills for Health
Skills for Health is the Sector Skills Council for all health sector employers: NHS, independent and third sector. Since 2002 we’ve been working with employers to get the right people, with the right skills, in the right place at the right time. We are the authoritative voice on skills issues for the health sector and offer proven workforce solutions and tools – with the expertise and experience to use them effectively. To find out more about our unique competence-based approach to workforce transformation and how we can help you drive up productivity and quality visit www.skillsforhealth.org.uk

Pictured: Michelle Laing, Head of Department, LJMU Faculty of Health and Applied Social Sciences, Paul Blakeman, Divisional Manager of Qualifications, Skills for Health, Magdeleine Herod, Project Manager, Skills for Health Co-ordinator, Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, Linda Hardy, Standards Manager, Skills for Health