Project Bids
Progression between Further and Higher Education in Primary Care Management
A six months project is proposed for collaboration on the design and delivery of two new Foundation Degree modules and their related Further Education bridging course requirement. The proposed period is March-September 2008 in readiness for the 2008/2009 student intake. The new modules are likely to be first run at the University of Winchester in the second semester of 2009.
The curricula framework is provided by the existing Registered Management and NVQ Health Care courses usually delivered at local Further Education Colleges and the successful Foundation Degree in Management offered by the University of Winchester. This has its main teaching base at Chute House in Basingstoke, where the programme already has formal collaborations with six local Further Education Colleges.
This project will involve other local Further Education providers and the NHS, through the Southampton and Hampshire Primary Care Trusts, in the design of modules and taster sessions that can respond to priority needs and deficits recently identified in relation to contemporary developments in primary care services.
From the employer perspective the shortfalls relate to the lack of appropriate management development provision for the new staff roles and practitioners in primary care - health care technicians and assistants, call centre and contract coders, rehabilitation and gateway workers, etc (especially in the growing number of independent sector primary care enterprises).
From the educational perspective there is awareness that the student response to existing modules based on traditional NHS and public health approaches is in decline.
The new provision of Foundation Degree level Primary Care oriented programmes was one of the recommendations to emerge from the PVI focus groups and gap analysis undertaken between May and October 2007 by the Health and Social Care Curriculum Group.
The overall aim is to enhance both the management opportunities available to those from non-traditional backgrounds in primary care and the quality of its emergent service agencies. The expansion of both are the anticipated outcomes of the new General Medical Services for primary care services locally and nationally. The focus here is on Hampshire where there is not a dedicated FE-HE linked Health Management Department, unlike in many other parts of the UK.
Project targets
- Approval for the delivery of two new FdA management modules in ‘Primary Care Policy and Practice’ and ‘Organisation and Operation of modern Primary Care’ (provisional working titles only) and link Bridging Courses in 2008/09.
- Marketing of PCT/FE agreed target practitioner groups for future recruitment and regular subsequent student profiling.
- Inclusion within SHA approved commissioning intentions via NHS Local Delivery Plans and allocations from 2009/10.
This project will be overseen by the Health and Social Care and Business and Management Curriculum Groups.
For more information about this project contact Professor Geoffrey Meads on geoffrey.meads@winchester.ac.uk or (01962) 777721.
Progress Reports
June 2009
Dissemination Pack
The following documents have been created to provide information about this project and assist anyone who is considering running the project at their organisation.
- Project dissemination pack document (pdf)
Supporting documents