Did you know you may be able to get regional NHS England funding for a diagnostic assessment of your job plans?

What is the Diagnostic Assessment?

The Diagnostic Assessment is the essential first step to understanding the quality, consistency and reliability of your current consultant job planning. It provides a clear, evidence-based baseline of your current job plans, highlighting variation, identifying structural issues and confirming where targeted action will deliver the greatest benefit, regardless of which job planning system is in use.

The Diagnostic brings together system data, activity language, job plan structure and departmental variation into a single, objective assessment.

This assessment clarifies where improvements may be required, for example: enhancing activity language, addressing categorisation inconsistencies, identifying outdated or incomplete job plans, or confirming whether job plans accurately reflect contracted PAs, all in one place.

The precise recommendations will be driven entirely by the diagnostic outcomes, allowing actions to be prioritised in a way that generates the most meaningful improvement.

This process creates a clear, evidence-led pathway. First, establish an accurate baseline. Then, outline the specific interventions needed to strengthen job planning, improve data quality and support wider workforce planning across the organisation.

Current programme rate available to participating Trusts: £5,000 (excluding VAT)* This temporary reduction is intended to support rapid, job planning quality assurance work across the NHS. In some regions, this amount may be met through NHS England regional funding streams, subject to local approval.

Want to find out more? Email discovery@sardjv.co.uk.

*Normally £1,000 per department or £20,000 for a Trust-wide diagnostic. This article is factually correct at the date is was written on 17 December 2025.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for general guidance only. It may not reflect the most up-to-date NHS policies or local Trust practices. Always refer to current NHS guidance and your organisation’s policies for definitive information.