By David Jones-Stanley, Head of Workforce Advisory Services, Liaison Workforce
In 2021, the Government published its draft data strategy, ‘Data Saves Lives: Reshaping health and social care with data’, which highlighted the power and impact that data had during the height of Covid-19 in shaping both the NHS’s and the public’s response to the global pandemic.
Beginning with a Ministerial Forward from the former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, the strategy opens with a powerful statement:
“When facing the greatest public health emergency that this country has tackled for generations, one of the most impactful tools at our disposal was the power of data.”
The strategy is then split into seven ‘chapters’, covering a range of focus areas including the improvement of data available to health and care professionals, supporting decision makers with key data, and empowering researchers with essential data.
However, it seems that a vital chapter is missing. One which is key to the running of the NHS, and even more essential in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. The use of data to support the NHS workforce, and the recovery of its people.
You can find my suggested missing chapter here: https://liaisongroup.com/blog/liaison-workforce/data-saves-lives-the-missing-chapter-data-and-the-nhs-workforce/