Safe Staffing
From 2013 it became a national requirement for all hospitals in the UK to publish information regarding safe staffing levels on each ward every month.
The requirement was in response to the Francis Inquiry and the Berwick report which called for greater openness and transparency after the reports found that inadequate staffing levels led to the poor quality of care.
Safe Staffing reports set out the number of registered and non-registered nursing and midwifery staff working on each ward, and the percentage of shifts meeting safe staffing guidelines. Other key priorities of the reports include:
- Workforce reporting to the Trust Board
- Staffing establishment reviews
- Displaying staffing levels on noticeboards in clinical areas
- Publishing workforce data on the Trust’s website
On a daily basis, our clinical teams review and adjust staffing levels based on acuity, dependency and clinical demands. Any concerns are escalated in a timely manner to ensure remedial actions are taken to fulfil the Trust’s strategy of putting Patients First and providing the best of care.
Below are links to some useful resources that the Trust refers to in order to ensure it meets the safe staffing requirement:
- NHS England » Safer staffing: nursing and midwifery
- NHS England » Safer nursing care tool
- Birthrate Plus® Workforce Planning Methodology and Birthrate Plus® Intrapartum Acuity Tool | Safe midwifery staffing for maternity settings | Guidance | NICE
Safe Staffing reports
Each month the Trust publishes the data below to demonstrate how it is performing in terms of safe staffing levels.