NHS awarded £7.5 million to digitally schedule shifts

Government allocates £7.5 million to NHS hospitals, clinics and pharmacies across 38 trusts to implement digital shift planning

E-rostering has been highly effective for redeploying staff, reporting absences and managing working hours and pay information during the pandemic, specifically for vaccination centres.

It allows clinicians to select shifts digitally, providing them with flexibility and will save clinicians 34 minutes a week. It can also cut costs for the NHS by reducing the reliance on staffing agencies.

Digital staff passports

Specific skillsets can more easily be matched to the right shifts when redeploying staff using digital staff passports. The passports are currently being piloted and can save staff and HR teams time by providing a verified record of identity, employment and training on their smartphone.

The trusts benefiting from this latest funding include mental health and community, specialist and general acute trusts, five of which will also be using the software to schedule patient appointments.

Minister of State for Care Helen Whately said:

“People are at the heart of the NHS. Our doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers are the greatest asset we have. I’m determined to help NHS trusts get the best out of our talented healthcare workers and give patients the care they deserve.

“We’re delivering on another commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to support the use of electronic rosters. E-rostering is a crucial tool to make the most of our dedicated healthcare professionals’ time for looking after patients – something which is needed more than ever during this pandemic.

“Managing shifts more effectively also makes it easier to work flexibly, giving our hardworking clinicians a better work/life balance. I’m pleased even more trusts will now benefit thanks to this £7.5 million funding boost.

“I’m excited to see how this technology can be implemented in the future, not just in hospitals and pharmacies, but in social care too – making sure everyone gets the right care at the right time.”

Anna Stabler, Executive Chief Nurse at North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding to help us develop a community workforce deployment system for our nurses and Allied Health Care Professionals working in the community. The funding will be utilised to deliver electronic rostering and case management systems that will in turn benefit our staff and patients alike.

“It will mean our staff can support patients in a more timely manner, whilst reducing their travel time and improve their working arrangements. We’re very much looking forward to getting this piece of work underway.”

Find the full list of trusts here.