Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation launches e-learning initiative

The organisation is working with SkillSoft, to launch the facility, which will form part of the Trust’s staff retraining and redeployment programme.

Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a diverse population of over 400,000 people in east Berkshire and south Buckinghamshire. It provides inpatient and outpatient services across six locations, in Ascot, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, the Chalfonts and Windsor.

As part of its ongoing efficiency programme the Trust will embrace new technologies around learning and development that re-skill and redeploy staff in the fastest and most cost effective manner. The SkillSoft e-learning offering, including Books24x7 – which provides access to over 25,000, digitised IT and business books – will form part of a blended learning approach that forms the foundation of its learning and development strategy.  

SkillSoft offers a range of on-the-job training packages that allow participants to expand their knowledge or cross train in the office by learning at their own pace. The advantage to employees is that they are provided with help and support to empower them in work, and for employers the on-site learning means no costly absences.

The Trust’s organisational development lead, John Newell, said: "Firstly, the systemwill provide ready access to the managerial and change management skills we need – and do so affordably. Secondly, it will enable staff to re-skill if they want to seek to redploy across the organisation. They can tap into the solutions and other learning programmes to sharpen existing skills, retrain through acquiring new skills and improving knowledge in relevant areas.

"e-learning needs to form part of our overall learning strategy – whether it’s for induction, re-skilling, or management and leadership training for our senior management, eventually everyone should have access because everyone can benefit.

This article was first published on hrmagazine.co.uk