A new resource is now available on CQC’s website which explores the approaches taken by a range of health and social care providers to make effective use of their staff.
Through a series of case studies, we highlight what providers have done to address the challenge of providing safe, effective staffing in creative and flexible ways.
While each example is different, they all show action to manage workforce challenges based on ensuring the overall safety of patient care, rather than rigid staffing ratios. They also highlight how taking an alternative approach to staffing can have a positive impact for people using services.
Among the examples, we see how healthcare professionals from different sectors have come together to maximise capacity and provide more integrated care, and services that have adapted their existing staffing model to help prevent unnecessary hospital admission and better support timely discharge.
Professor Ted Baker, CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, said:
“Health and care providers are facing increasing pressure from rising demand, and this is exacerbated by workforce shortages. While the interim NHS People Plan sets out a welcome vision to better support our NHS staff to deliver care in the future, the case studies we have published today show there are some things we can do now to use the staff we have available to their greatest effect.
“Safe, effective staffing is about having enough staff with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. It is about team work, not silo working, and developing staff so they can support each other to ensure that patients have the smoothest possible journey on their care pathway.
“I hope these examples of collaborative and innovative working will encourage others to make the best use of the range of skills they have available to improve patient experience.”
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Safe, effective staffing is about having enough staff with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time
Professor Ted Baker, Chief Inspector of Hospitals