NHS Fife is drawing up plans to combat a triple whammy of threats to future staffing levels.
An increasing elderly population and an ageing workforce, combined with the implications of Brexit, mean there may not be enough doctors and nurses to meet future patient demand unless action is taken.
The same difficulties are being faced by health boards across Scotland, who are also drawing up workforce strategies to ensure the continued delivery of high quality services.
Fife’s population is set to increase by 19,500 in the next 20 years with a higher than average number of people over the age of 75, many of whom will have a range of health conditions.
Meanwhile, more than 40% of NHS Fife’s staff are already aged over 50 meaning a significant portion of the workforce will leave over the next decade.
That, combined with difficulty recruiting in a number of specialities, means the health service must come up with innovative ways of working to ensure demand is met.
A report to the NHS Fife board said uncertainty over immigration policy after Brexit was also impacting on workforce planning at a local and national level.
Proposals to withstand the problems include more regional working with other health boards with the ability to call on a bank of doctors and nurses.
The increased use of technology is also being looked at, including a text messaging system to help patients monitor their blood pressure at home and virtual consultation rooms to allow people to talk to professionals online.
New roles will be developed and modern apprenticeships set up to attract more young workers into the health service.
NHS Fife’s director of workforce Barbara Ann Nelson said the report did not provide answers to all the challenges faced but added: “What it does attempt to do is outline them and indicate short, medium and long-term ways of addressing them.”
Fife Labour MSP Alex Rowley described the document as a good start but said it failed to take into account the current situation or the need for more investment in the NHS.
“We must see more investment year on year to sit alongside any strategy otherwise it is simply another report that costs a lot of money and managerial time to produce and will not address fundamental issues.”
