Clinical Placement Expansion Programme at Gosh - a Two-Year Review

ABSTRACT

Background The Clinical Placement Expansion Programme (CPEP) aims to increase clinical placements in the National Health Service (NHS) and to support growth across all Allied Health Professionals (AHPs). At Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), this programme was implemented in 2020, and extended to 2022, with the aim to steadily increase placement capacity across all AHP services. Additionally, the Fair Share model was introduced in London to help benchmark the provision of practice learning relative to workforce capacity, focusing specifically on Speech and Language Therapy, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. The aim is to provide seven weeks of student placement per whole time equivalent. Methods Retrospective data were collected from seven AHP services throughout two academic years September 2020 to September 2022. This included achieved number of students and placement weeks. Student placement feedback was collected and reported as an average out of five for both academic years. Results From September 2020 to September 2021, a total number of 400 student placements (1153 weeks) were supported at GOSH. From September 2020 to September 2021, 145 students were placed (433 weeks) and from September 2021 to September 2022, a total of 255 students were placed (720 weeks). This shows an increase of 110 students and 283 weeks from 2020/2021 to 2021/2022. The average student feedback for academic years 2020-2022 was 4.75 out of 5. Conclusion Student numbers and weeks increased per academic year from 2020-2022. Barriers to increasing student capacity included clinical capacity and staff pressures, lack of space, changes in service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, and staff attitude towards student placements. Placement innovation, such as leadership placements and hybrid working models, positively influenced student numbers at GOSH. There is a continued drive to achieve the Fair Share model, and the sustainability of placement expansion should be reviewed in future.