- Conference
- 2009 Health Care Service Group Conference
- Date
- 9 December 2008
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes the Terms of Reference of the Modernising Scientific Careers programme oversight board agreed on 29 May 2008 as follows:
1.To oversee and provide the governance for the development of the UK strategy for modernising scientific careers in health.
2.To ensure that the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) programme is evidence-based and developed within the overall UK health departments and policy framework for modernising the healthcare workforce.
3.To ensure that in developing the MSC programme, promoting equality of opportunity and diversity are at the forefront of the proposals.
4.To have oversight of the development and roll-out of the programme, including the establishment of short-lived working groups.
5.To ensure that the products from the programme meet the present and future requirements of patients, the service and the profession.
6.To ensure that risks in introducing the programme, especially in relation to transition, are identified proactively and managed before further escalation is required, through regular and careful monitoring of the programme’s work streams.
7.To ensure that there is active engagement of all stakeholders across the four countries in the development and implementation of the programme.
8.To ensure that funding and workforce planning arrangements yield value for money whilst ensuring high quality scientific services for health.
9.To ensure that partner organisations responsible for the delivery of key elements of the programme are fully engaged with the MSC programme.
10.To ensure that there is a timely and robust communications strategy that is far reaching and comprehensive.
Conference welcomes the positive aspects of the review relating to improving strategic national direction and workforce planning and development, and the inclusion of Trades Union representatives on the oversight board. However Conference recognises that the review has serious implications for many of our members’ working lives and therefore calls on the Service Group Executive to:
i.Maintain UNISON’s presence on the national oversight board;
ii.Highlight the requirement for any proposals to be compatible with the provisions of Agenda for Change including the Knowledge and Skills and Framework and Job Evaluation Scheme;
iii.In pursuance of 2 above encourage the engagement and participation of the NHS Staff Council in the MSC programme as and when appropriate.