Health Education England (HEE) has committed £50m to enable expanded upskilling of NHS staff.
The money will allow employers to enhance continuing professional development. Workforce development money is invested in NHS staff to give them new or different skills or sometimes to refresh skills.
Calum Pallister, HEE Director of Finance, said: ‘Employers have been asking us for earlier confirmation of this money. We haven’t been able to commit in advance before in this way and that has not helped Trusts with their planning.
‘The early notice we are giving this year will provide greater certainty for the system, allowing employers time to plan properly how they are going to invest the money, making the best, most effective use of what we are providing to develop staff in priority areas that will bring most benefit to patients.’
Responding to the announcement of a £50 million workforce development fund, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers said: ‘This is of course welcome investment in the development of our people and recovers some of the money lost when the continuing professional development (CPD) funds were reduced in 2015 from £205m to £83m.
‘This was a consequence of real terms disinvestment at that time in HEE - something that will hopefully change to support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan.’