IPEM involved in Diagnostics Transformation Programme
AN initiative to help with workforce shortages in diagnostic imaging is being supported by IPEM.
Matt Dunn, IPEM’s Vice President Medical Physics, is working with NHS England to build imaging demand, capacity and workforce planning tools as part of the Diagnostics Transformation Programme.
These tools are being developed to reduce chronic workforce shortages and enable significant changes recommended by the Richards Review, which stated the diagnostic imaging workforce requires significant expansion to continue to provide safe, patient-centred diagnostic care in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The tools will incorporate the assessment of workforce gaps of sonographers, nuclear medicine technologists and medical physicists working within CT, MRI, Ultrasound, PET CT, Nuclear Medicine, X-Ray, Mammography and Fluoroscopy.
Workforce models
To aid the modelling of capacity and workforce within Medical Physics, the Diagnostics Transformation Programme will utilize the existing workforce models provided by IPEM, consisting of the Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Protection workforce calculator and MRI minimum provision guidance.
These tools will also provide an understanding of current demand, capacity and workforce gaps within diagnostic imaging to provide accurate workforce forecasts that will support operational and business planning decisions at a trust and imaging network level.
This will include assessing workforce skill-mixes, the impact of investment in additional equipment and enabling the growth of staff within imaging. They will also establish the impact of different interventions on imaging services to establish the most robust approach to reconciling workforce shortages.
Dr Robert Farley, IPEM’s President, said: ‘I’m delighted Matt is involved in this important work for the diagnostic imaging community. The tools which will be produced, coupled with the invaluable workforce data provided by IPEM, will be a great aid as part of NHS England’s transformation programme.’
The workforce tools are expected to be finalised later this year.