CPDmatch and Covid-19

This year will be challenging for providers of healthcare Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with most on-site events cancelled. It is essential however that education continues as CPD is not just about ‘ticking the box’ for appraisal and revalidation. We must support the ongoing needs of those providing care at the frontline whilst delivering online education to those isolating at home.

The CPDmatch website and app was launched just 6 weeks before Covid-19 resulted in lockdown and mass cancellation of events. This was a bit of a blow as our primary goal was to match healthcare professionals with relevant, accessible and affordable educational opportunities. Geographic matching would reduce the travel and environmental impact of attending external CPD.

Many garden centres, pubs and supermarkets have adapted to Covid-19 and so has CPDmatch. Whilst we always accommodated online CPD and webinars, we have improved the interface to ensure listing is as easy as possible. We are also seeing course providers advertising onsite events for late 2020, anticipating the inevitable surge in applications, and we wish to support this foresight and planning.

I am therefore inviting you to register on CPDmatch (www.cpdmatch.co.uk) and advertise your online CPD, upcoming webinars and events taking place later this year so we can continue to educate our 1.4 million NHS staff. CPDmatch is free to use for NHS-associated organisations, all healthcare staff and for the duration of the crisis, there is no charge for independent course providers to list their online CPD.

Please note that CPDmatch is not a ‘cash in on Covid’ scheme and has been in development since November 2017. It is independent of NHS organisations and employers, largely self-funded but supported through grants and sponsorship. It is a platform which aims to solve the long-standing problem of missed CPD opportunities and panic-booking; rooted in an ethos of accessibility, equality for all and sustainability.

Stay safe everyone,

Richard.