Determining the training needs of planners

Since the NHS Planning System was formally introduced in 1976 both it and the NHS itself have undergone a succession of changes and reorganisations. To facilitate the introduction of the Planning System an integrated programme in training for planning was established by the DHSS. Over the years since then, training in planning has developed in a less integrated manner and by the late 1980s it was felt that the situation should be reviewed to meet the challenges of the forthcoming round of strategic planning. Accordingly, the Health Services Management Centre was commissioned to carry out a study into the training needs of planners. Because of the restricted timescale a workshop approach was adopted and leading planners and managers from all tiers and all professions from different parts of England and Wales were invited to participate. The project had two main foci which are discussed here. Firstly, current and future changes in the NHS and its environment which might or will impact on health care planning and, secondly, the identification of the groups which require training in planning, the skills and competencies they require and possible methods of acquisition.