New e-rostering solution aimed at creating efficient health workforce now available

Skills for Health launches its new e-rostering solution today (28.09.16) that has the ability to transform the way the NHS utilises its entire workforce with simplicity and accuracy.

Realtime Rostering, developed by healthcare industry specialists has been designed to roster all staff in healthcare settings which includes; trainee and consultant doctors, nurses, midwives and, support workers to name a few.

The new system has been developed to help drive cost savings in the healthcare sector, with the aim of surpassing those estimated by Lord Carter’s Review of Operational Productivity, while significantly improving care. Released in February 2016, the Carter Review report identified significant and unwarranted variation in costs and practice, which, if addressed, could save the NHS £5bn a year by 2020/21. The report detailed recommendations on how the sector could save money, which included the extension of e-rostering as a means of ensuring staff are deployed in the most productive way.

Realtime Rostering offers a sophisticated e-rostering solution that is supported by Skills for Health’s 10 years of experience in delivering tried and tested tools in workforce management. The system’s’main functionality allows for accurate workforce management to ensure the right staff are working the right shifts at the right time with a robust auditing and reporting functionality

Updating staff rotas in seconds, the system provides accurate and update to date information that can be accessed by anyone at any time.

In piloting the new system, users reported a reduction in medical locum spend by approximately 10%–20% with consultants rota planning now taking up to 75% less time. The rostering workload of staff managing rotas had been cut by up to 50%, and trusts now feel they have better clarity on training opportunities.

Heather Bennett, Medical HR Manager, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Organisation said:

The system is perfect for us and allows us to see most member of staffs’ availability on one screen; having that level of visibility means that we can see any gaps and are alerted to any problems earlier than we would have been before.

Bryan Kessie, Head of Technical Development at Skills for Health, says:

Skills for Health recognises that times are changing in the healthcare sector and with the Government’s latest plans to make the NHS more digital – it’s imperative that the sector embraces technology.

Rostering and administration can be stressful tasks to perform and leave a lot of room for error, which can lead to over or understaffing and extra budget being spent on temporary staff. We’ve designed Realtime Rostering to be an all-encompassing system that allows staff of all levels to access the right information to ensure the workforce is efficient and sustainable.

The new system also offers seamless integration with existing systems and is easy to use, helping trusts to take a firmer grip on workforce management while updating staff rotas in seconds to provide accurate and up-to-date information that can be accessed by anyone at any time.

The e-rostering software allows for teams to plan up to a year in advance, with the flexibility to plan around unexpected absences, providing staff with a better chance of maintaining a work-life balance. In allowing staff to plan annual leave and holidays in advance, while still maintaining the appropriate cover for roles, staff can feel confident that their shifts are covered and the team are ready to handle the cover.

Sean Whyment, Lead Manager of Realtime Rostering at Skills for Health, explains how Realtime Rostering can be put into practice:

Within the general medicine department at a hospital are many sub-specialities of practice that can pose a problem when it comes to rostering as there are many elements to manage when it comes to staff rotas.  In these areas, Realtime Rostering ensures that the right number of people, and at the right grade, are in place to cover the department, removing the margin for error and improving patient care.

Source: http://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/