Action Plan for People Management in the Health Service

Action Plan for People Management in the Health Service
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Introduction
In November of 2001 the Government launched its new National Health Strategy – “Quality and Fairness, A Health System for you” (hereafter referred to as
Quality and Fairness). Quality and Fairness was developed following one of the largest consultation processes ever undertaken in the public service. It sets out
the vision for the health service, the four principles upon which this vision will be built, it also establishes four National goals and finally sets out six ‘frameworks
for change’, which will be used to achieve the vision, principles and goals.
One of the six frameworks for change is Developing Human Resources. The health service is one of the largest employers in the public sector, with the
employment level at the end of 2001 approaching 93,000 full time employees. These employees are spread across a large number of organisations, in multiple
locations and settings across the country. Each employee plays a key role in the delivery of health service, in all settings, to the public.
While all organisations claim that their human resources are their most valuable asset, nowhere is that more accurately reflected than in the health service.
Medical and technological developments continue to improve the provision of health care, but ultimately health care is provided through people. The demands
on these people are very significant, with ever-increasing services, changing demographics, new treatments and a continual need to stay abreast of important
developments. Furthermore these services are delivered 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. That is the context in which the health service operates.
The frameworks for change, as set out in Quality and Fairness recognise that changes are required in how people are managed if the objectives of the strategy
are to be realised. Quality and Fairness poses significant challenges to the current service delivery approach, and this Action Plan for People Management
(APPM) sets out how, over the next five to seven years, changes in people management approaches will address those challenges.
Human Resources
Quality and Fairness recognises that while there has already been a shift towards the more contemporary Human Resource Management (HRM) approach to
people management further work needs to be done to complete the switch from the traditional personnel administration model. Within the health service
Directors of Human Resources have already been appointed in each health board/authority, recognising the need to ensure that HRM has a key strategic role.
There have been a significant number of programmes and initiatives launched, which address many of the aspects of this action plan. What this action plan
attempts to do is build upon those developments to date, acknowledge the shortcomings and try and set the direction for HRM in the health service over the
next five to seven years.