As winter approaches, NHS services will again face heightened pressures from seasonal illnesses, increased hospital admissions, and rising demand. NHS people managers understand proactive workforce planning is essential to ensure safe staffing levels and maintain high-quality patient care and our workforce specialists are here to provide additional support when required. We can support with the following guidance:
Establish robust workforce scheduling systems
- Prepare rosters early and use e-rostering tools: Modernise scheduling systems and services to improve staff management.
- Follow NHS England’s nursing and midwifery e-rostering good practice guide.
Strengthen relationships with agency and bank suppliers
- Establish preferred supplier lists (PSLs): Work with trusted agencies that meet NHS compliance standards and provide flexibility.
- Monitor agency performance: Hold regular strategic meetings to ensure agencies are meeting set targets.
- Follow NHS Workforce Alliance supplier relationships best practice guidance.
Make use of out of hours spare capacity
- Commission insourcing services to secure additional clinical capacity and bring down waiting times.
- Follow NHS England’s guidance for trusts on the use of insourcing.
Prioritise staff health and wellbeing
- Access mental health resources: Provide staff with access to mental health support such as counselling and coaching services.
- Early detection and prevention: Detect early signs of staff illness by offering preventive services, for example, blood tests and health screening for workers.
Leverage data for decision-making
- Use workforce analytics: Plan for any surge in demand by identifying trends, spikes and gaps.
Support new and international recruits
- Provide thorough inductions: Integrate occupational health services into your onboarding process such as essential health checks, vaccinations, and tailored advice on workplace adjustments.
- Offer pastoral support: Ensure international staff feel integrated and valued.
Joined up decision making
- Collaboration across functions: Create a single shared strategy across Workforce, Procurement, Clinical and Finance functions to deliver better and more sustainable results
- Participate in regional initiatives: Engage in collaborative activities across systems to share and learn best practices
Utilise Alliance advice and agreements
The Alliance is an NHS resource that supports leaders and operational teams with all aspects of workforce planning and management. Working with approximately 900 suppliers, and across all trusts and ICSs in England, we provide access to compliant suppliers that help meet requirements through challenging times by:
- providing temporary staffing across clinical and non-clinical roles > refer to RM6281 Clinical and Healthcare Staffing framework
- delivering end-to-end technology solutions to design or improve digital workforce systems > refer to RM6387 Workforce Technology Systems framework
- identifying and delivering tailored occupational and staff well-being programmes > refer to RM6386 Occupational Health, Employee Assistance Programmes and Eye Care Services framework
- using out of hours spare capacity to deliver clinical services and help reduce waiting times > refer to RM6276 Insourced Services framework
- supporting international recruits > refer to RM6333 International Recruitment framework
How can we help?
The Alliance can help with all of the above areas. Please reach out to us using the contact form on our website if you would like to discuss any of the guidance outlined in this article.