Health Education England estimates that the demand for skilled data health professionals will increase by 30,000 by 2030. A report published in July by the government’s health and social care committee stated that there is a shortage of 12,000 hospital doctors and around 50,000 nurses in England and Wales.
A broader degree of integration is being achieved between digital skills and health skills than has been the case in existing education solutions. Despite the fact that some university courses do this, it is not widespread enough to make a significant impact. There will be an analysis of data collected over the two years of the pilot, which will inform future provision.
If the pilot is successful, expansion into further education colleges, sixth forms and secondary schools may be considered if the program is successful. In the event that this model is successful, it could also be applied to less-obvious skills gaps in other areas of the NHS if it proves to be successful.