NHS England, Workforce, Training and Education (WT&E) is responsible for ensuring that there are high quality learning environments for all healthcare learners.
There are times when concerns may be raised about a healthcare education and training programme or an approved learning environment. It is important that NHS England WT&E and our partners work together to ensure regulatory and education and training standards for education and training continue to be met.
Our Reporting and/or Escalating Education Quality Concerns policy, provides the overarching approach and principles for escalating, de-escalating and sharing of issues, risks and concerns relating to the quality of education and training and to the clinical or practice learning environment.
There are mechanisms and processes, managed by the Quality team to review and investigate concerns raised which includes protecting confidentiality.
Locality escalating concerns pathway
The escalating concerns pathway is not intended to replace serious incident reporting, it is intended to provide an additional layer of support for learners if they continue to have concerns.
We have a pathway for individuals to raise, and where appropriate, escalate concerns regarding the learning environment.
Local mechanisms should be utilised within the placement/training post learning environment initially, escalating to pathway two and three if learners continue to be concerned or feel the first pathway is inappropriate for your individual concern.
Pathway 1 – In the clinical environment: speak to senior clinician/educational supervisor/ward manager/placement supervisor or Freedom to Speak Up Guardian.
Pathway 2 – If no resolution with Pathway 1, learners should contact programme director, personal tutor, link tutor, Head of School, Director of medical Education, Educational Institution.
Pathway 3 – If no resolution after Pathway 1 and 2, or if learners feel they are inappropriate for their individual concern, leaners can contact the NHSE local quality team on england.quality.wx@nhs.net or by completing this form to escalate their concern.
If you need to raise a concern, please email england.quality.wx@nhs.net
This process is not intended to replace local Serious Incident reporting. It is intended to provide an additional layer of support for learners if they continue to have concerns.