Background In recent years, technological advancements have reshaped how clinical teams operate in the healthcare sector. The Topol Review (2019) offers recommendations for using digital skills to transform patient care and explores how to prepare the healthcare workforce through education and training to deliver the digital future. It is important that we invest in digital skills to empower our clinical teams and support the work that they do - this is necessary to ensure our digital transformation projects succeed and so that clinical staff can take advantage of digital efficiencies.

Aim To listen to the clinical workforce and find out what was working well, understand the challenges staff were experiencing and anticipate future needs with regards to digital skills requirements, technology and digital tools.

Method In July 2022, the hospice ran a digital workshop with 20 stakeholders from across the hospice’s clinical workforce. Participants were split into small groups and an appointed facilitator collated discussion ideas. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results Vital insights into the workforce’s confidence with digital tools and technology was ascertained indicating that the pace of change was too quick for the clinical workforce with nearly 40 separate comments related to this. Thematic analysis provided the basis for the development of a multi-faceted support offering that has been implemented over the last 12 months. 232 bookings onto the Digital Skills Programme were made, lifting the skills of 99 unique attendees. 67 issues have been resolved during our Embedded IT initiative and we have 18 Tech Buddies that are actively supporting their teams in situ.

Conclusion Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with participants affirming their understanding via online feedback post training. Verbal feedback on other initiatives such as the Enhanced IT Induction and Weekly Digital Tips also affirm the positive impact the workstreams have had in increasing digital confidence.