Health Education England (HEE) has been involved in the commissioning of postgraduate programs that aim to train bioinformaticians and facilitate the increased utilization of bioinformaticians in NHS trusts. However, the evidence suggested that the clinical scientists that graduate from these programs are not sufficiently retained in NHS trusts.
Therefore, HEE launched an initiative to understand the reasons behind low retention of clinical bioinformaticians, improve the retention and utilization of the clinical bioinformatician workforce in the trusts, and shape the future of this profession in the NHS.
As the sole consultant for the first phase of this initiative, we developed an assessment model to evaluate the factors affecting retention, designed data collection tools, identified target stakeholders, and collected extensive primary data. We analysed the collected data to assess bioinformatician retention and utilization in NHS trusts. Furthermore, we evaluated the root causes related to workforce attrition and underutilization, and provided recommendations for improving the commissioning process and maximizing the utilization of clinical bioinformaticians.
Furthermore, we defined the terms of reference and proposed potential members for an advisory group that will bring in the required know-how and experience to support HEE’s ongoing initiative and future engagements related to the commissioning of clinical scientists in the NHS trusts.
United Kingdom
National Health Service (NHS) England
2021
As part of NHS’s approach to transparency, the final report of this project was published on HEE’s website to keep stakeholders informed and engaged.
The outcomes of this project, including the final report and the advisory group, are guiding the second phase of the ongoing initiative of the HEE, as well as future reforms for commissioning and training of bioinformaticians in NHS trusts.
