COVID-19 News and Support for Healthcare
Our latest news, guidance and support in response to COVID-19
Resources are updated regularly with the latest guidance and readily available information on how we can support you and your workforce during this challenging time.
In this section:
Where to find further support
We have a range of support available here, however, further guidance can be found for clinicians about specific coronavirus advice from the NHS England website.
If you are a member of the public looking for health advice on coronavirus, please visit the NHS website.
And if you are looking for the latest advice about the government response to the outbreak and travel information, please visit the gov.uk website.
eLearning updates and support
The Covid-19 pandemic has put unprecedented pressures on the UK health and social care system. In response to the pandemic, Skills for Health worked in partnership with Health Education England to outline the minimum requirements for statutory and mandatory training during the Covid-19 outbreak, to support management of the pandemic by the NHS. This covers both existing NHS staff as well as healthcare workers who have returned to practice in response to the pandemic.
The Covid-19: Critical Mandatory Training eLearning Bundle for Returning Frontline Staff includes four statutory/mandatory eLearning modules for returning NHS staff.
Covid-19 Training for NHS, Health and Social Care staff
This 12-section eLearning course from Skills for Health will train NHS, Health and Social Care staff on best practices when dealing with the ongoing pandemic and teach key findings from the course of the last 18 months to improve health, safety, and welfare of both staff and patients. This newly revamped learning programme will help staff across all roles in healthcare to maintain safe hygiene and reduce the risk of Covid-19 on patients and staff. In turn, we hope this eLearning will help reduce staff sickness and help the NHS build back better by reducing ongoing admissions of Coronavirus.
An Introduction to Covid-19 Awareness eLearning
First launched in March 2020, this free eLearning course developed by our learning experts, was accessed by over 34,000 healthcare staff in just a few weeks. Now updated with all the latest guidance, the online resource continues to support the training of how to recognise the symptoms of coronavirus, how to effectively use PPE, important infection prevention and control measures, and much more. The free online version is not certificated, however, if you require proof of completion, a certificated version is available via our eLearning platform.
Guidance for healthcare learners
Health Education England provided a number of documents containing information and guidance for all healthcare students and trainees. The Healthcare Learners Coronavirus Advice Guide offers useful tips and advice during the Covid-19 pandemic. This document was created as a response to shared experiences by healthcare learners working on the front line.
Supporting the NHS during resurge phases of Covid-19 and the ongoing pandemic: managing the training workforce is a guidance document that outlines the process for governing HEE’s decisions, operational activity and management of students and trainees during a resurgence of Covid-19.
Medical workforce planning updates and support
Our team responded rapidly to the change in ways of working and supporting the health sector in response to Covid-19. Our commitment to maintaining and providing the continuity of our services and supporting organisations to secure a sustainable workforce has been consistently paramount to us during these unprecedented times.
Covid-19 Workforce Survey
It’s more vital than ever to understand how Covid-19 has impacted our NHS and care workforce. In June 2020 we conducted the largest Covid-19 Workforce Survey for the health sector carried out by our in-house Research and Evaluation team. Read the results of this important research to find out how the workforce has coped and adapted to the pandemic:
Putting people and patients first
In response to Covid-19, our Chief Executive, John Rogers, issued a statement to explain how the team here at Skills for Health would always make the healthcare workforce and its patients our number one priority. By adapting our ways of working and ensuring we have an unwavering commitment to supporting the NHS and healthcare providers continue to deliver patient care to the best they can.
Skills for Health Rostering Support
Responding to the pandemic has placed new and drastically increased demands on digital innovation to support workforce management and improve patient care. The Department of Health and Social Care has announced substantial funding to support digital shift scheduling across NHS trusts.
Skills for Health rostering solutions offer support to maximise efficiency of workforce deployment, while maintaining compliance.
Our remote workforce consultancy team provides a wide range of professional advice, support services and training to enable medical units in offering outstanding patient care and eliminating the stress of managing compliant rosters.
Supporting the biggest NHS vaccination campaign
The NHS England and Improvement are delivering the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history. The national NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme involves departments across government, Public Health England, NHSX, DHSC and other organisations across the health and care system. There is now a growing network of 50 large scale centres, capable of jabbing thousands of people a week, across the country.
The Skills for Health Immunisation and Vaccination Course compliments the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme. It was designed for healthcare staff involved in delivering or advising on immunisations and vaccinations and provides invaluable information on the practical and legal implications of immunisations and vaccinations, as well as best practice information.
Get live updates on Covid-19 support
We’re continually finding more ways to support the healthcare sector and NHS respond to Covid-19, with additional resources, signposting, and solutions. Sign up to receive live updates.
Covid-19 news and insights from workforce experts
Read specialist insight pieces from some of the health sector’s leading experts – or download brochures, case studies and reports from our extensive library.