March 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of the 2024 On the Horizon newsletter from the Future Workforce Unit (FWU). On the Horizon provides a snapshot of the key trends and developments that have the potential to shape and impact our future workforce, workplace and ways of working.

On the Horizon is part of the Focus on the Future Workforce Initiative, which aims to support the health system to ensure a resilient and digitally enabled workforce that can adapt to the changes in the system caused by technology and other disruptions. By focusing on not just the now, but also the future, NSW Health can ensure that we meet the needs of the community now and into the future.

Please note that the opinions shared in On the Horizon are those of the respective authors, and may not reflect the views of FWU or NSW Health.

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the articles may contain images of people who have passed away.

In envisioning the future talent needs of NSW Health there is a focus on evolving skill demands. Some of our team recently attended the Australian Healthcare Week events for 2024, and in one of the sessions ‘The Convergence of Human Touch and Technological Brilliance: Where Will Technology and New Care Models Take Us?’ Chris Blake from St Vincents Health said, “The future of healthcare will be more networked, more adaptable and less in acute settings”. Chris’ vision suggests significant implications for the workforce including a greater emphasis on preventative and community-based initiatives. This shift necessitates a shift in skills; the need to become more flexible and adaptable, and to become more comfortable with integrating technology into practice. From a support perspective, as the demands of a changing healthcare landscape can be daunting, there will also be an increased need for supporting the wellbeing of our healthcare professionals.

Despite the challenges, the evolving healthcare landscape also presents opportunities for innovation and professional growth. Healthcare professionals may have the chance to contribute to the development of new care models, technologies, and approaches to delivering patient-centred care.

ACI’s Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) maintains living evidence tables on priority areas of health innovation. These web-based tables provide high level summaries of key studies and emerging evidence and are reviewed regularly and updated when new evidence and information is published. They support decision makers by providing up to date evidence in a timely and responsive way.

The AI living evidence table was recently published online and includes three topic areas: clinical applications of AI, automating indirect clinical tasks and administration, and system implementation. Evidence from the living table is considered by the NSW Health AI taskforce, a dedicated taskforce established to help inform and guide the use of AI in the state’s public health system. This, along with other living evidence tables can be accessed on the Critical Intelligence Unit webpage. You can also subscribe to CIU’s evidence digest here to receive weekly summaries of new evidence and reports from international sources.

In this month's edition of On the Horizon, we're exploring a range of trends and shifts we’re seeing, from the changing global workforce landscape to the future of medical clothing, and consumers as the workforce of the future.

As you sift through these trends, I encourage you to use the questions included to prompt further conversations with your peers and networks to explore what these trends could mean for your future context. Together we have the opportunity to shape the future of NSW Health where we are more prepared and capable than ever before.

- Tamara Lee

Director, Future Workforce

A shifting global workforce landscape

It’s no news that we are living through a fundamental transformation in the way we work.

Globally, workers are looking for greater alignment between their needs and what their employers are able to deliver. The Global Workforce of the Future: Unravelling the Talent Conundrum in 2023 report by LHH, states that 61% of workers globally want to stay in their current organisations in the next 12 months. However, nearly half of those people (44%) will do so under the condition that they will be reskilled and see progression within their job.

Additionally, technology is replacing human tasks, and changing the skills that organisations are looking for in their workforce. The Workforce of the Future: The Competing Forces Shaping 2030 report by PWC, suggests that automation, the use of technology and machines to perform tasks, is changing the types of skills that are highly valued in the workforce. When routine tasks are automated, it frees up human workers to focus on tasks that require skills that machines cannot replicate easily. These skills include problem-solving, leadership, emotional intelligence, empathy, and creativity. As a result, workers who possess these skills are proposed to become more valuable.

These significant changes raise organisational, talent and HR challenges and opportunities. Organisations and individuals that stay up to date with these potential shifts and what this might mean for them, and plan ahead, will be the best prepared for the future. So, how might skill needs in NSW Health change in the future? How can we as individuals and as an organisation prepare for a future that few of us can actually define?

Transform the uniform: The future of health medical clothing

As the healthcare industry evolves, new trends are emerging within the medical clothing market to meet the changing needs of healthcare professionals and patients alike. In 2021, the global medical clothing market was valued at $42.4 billion and is estimated to grow significantly, reaching $96.4 billion by 2031. From e-textiles (or smart textiles) to self-repairing and self-healing textiles, the possibilities appear to be endless.

Conventional wearable technologies present challenges for the continuous monitoring of human health conditions due to their lack of flexibility and bulkiness in size. Recent developments in e-textiles and wearable sensors have led to the emergence of smart clothing systems enabling continuous monitoring of vital signs and providing real-time health data remotely. Investment is also being made in developing advanced, virus-resistant fabrics and barrier technologies, and the integration of antimicrobial agents, moisture-wicking fabrics, and temperature regulation systems to enhance the comfort and performance of medical garments.

By incorporating technology into garments, smart clothing could be capable of tracking and monitoring chronic diseases and assisting with the needs of an aging population, thus providing valuable health data, enhancing accessibility and value for consumers, and reducing costs to the healthcare system. So, how could smart clothing for patients optimise workflow efficiency and resourcing in our organisation? How can we prepare our workforce for a change in workflow and work practices that incorporate smart clothing?

Opportunities for the future: Consumer, lived experience and peer workforces

In the vast landscape of healthcare, one extremely valuable resource is the power of those who have navigated the journey of illness and recovery firsthand. Who better to understand the trials and tribulations of navigating illness than those who have walked that path themselves? They are the consumers turned advocates, the peers offering support, and the voices of lived experience. These individuals offer unique perspectives, challenge assumptions, and their presence not only enriches the care experience for patients but also enhances the professional development of their peers, fostering a culture of empathy and continuous learning.

In Australia, the mental health sector is a frontrunner in embedding individuals with lived experience into the workforce. Organisations like Black Dog Institute and Sane Australia are two examples of mental health organisations who have incorporated a lived experience workforce into their services. Sydney LHD have embedded lived experience educators, who are members of the community employed to share their stories as part of educational courses and programs. In New Zealand, Te Pou, a national workforce centre for mental health, addiction and disability, is committed to developing the consumer, peer support and lived experience workforce.

The voices of consumers are not only valuable but could be essential in shaping the future of healthcare. So, picture a multidisciplinary team where clinicians work hand in hand with individuals who have experienced mental health challenges, chronic illness, or disability firsthand. What other areas of NSW Health could benefit from a peer support and lived experience workforce? How can we support this type of workforce to be effectively embedded into NSW Health?