If you think that your healthcare team requires additional substantive resource, then it probably does. But that alone isn’t going to be enough to secure financial backing from the board.
In this post, we’ll help you recognise the signs to look out for before it’s too late and explain how workforce management technology, like RotaMaster can help you build a strong business case for hiring more staff.
STEP 1 – UNDERSTANDING THERE’S A SKILLS SHORTAGE
Whether you have a gap in skills or simply don’t have enough staff, the result is the same: dissatisfied patients, missed targets and spiralling waiting lists.
Unfortunately, the reality is that by the time you’ve recognised a lack of resource, you’re already in deep. Spotting the trends before they start to cause workforce inefficiencies is the best way to run a successful team – and here’s where technology can help.
One of the many smart features in RotaMaster is its allocation wizard. Put simply, this powerful feature allows teams to plan and create monthly rotas in minutes, factoring in multiple requirements including skills and compliance, preferred shift patterns, holiday and much more.
If you’re noticing large gaps in your rota after running this process, then you’ve already got a strong case to say there’s just not enough resource in the team.
STEP 2 – NOTICING AN INCREASED USE OF AGENCY STAFF
For teams not using comprehensive scheduling technology, you might notice that you’re consistently reverting to agencies or bank workers to fill your rota gaps. Perhaps, you’re starting to spend more on agency staff each month, or you’re noticing a drop in standards that can sometimes come with temporary workers.
Whilst agency provision is effective at filling rota gaps in the short term, over time costs begin to spiral out of control. Costs aside, staff engagement can be damaged given that you’re effectively paying one person more for doing the same job as another substantive member of the team. It goes without saying that this isn’t good for morale, or the accounts.
If you’re using a smart workforce management software, like RotaMaster, you’ll be able to quickly glance at dashboards showing things like the split of substantive / bank / agency staff used over any given period, or how much is being spent on agency staff over time.
STEP 3 – PROVE BEYOND DOUBT WITH ULTRA SMART REPORTS
Senior leaders aren’t just going to sign off additional budget without concrete proof that your request is based on more than a hunch. The better you can articulate and present your point, the more chance you’ll have of taking back control of safe and effective staffing.
Again, technology can help you here.
With our Data+ module, you can visualise data like never before. Turning information into insights, you can literally report on anything that’s stored in RotaMaster, by exporting information and plugging into your data visualisation software (for example, Power BI).
So, whether you want to run a report on days of the week that the most shifts are filled by agency staff or the trend over time of agency provision versus substantive – then you can report on all of this and much, much more. Bundle it up and present it back to board and you’ve got a ready-made business case.
If you’d like to find out how RotaMaster can help your healthcare organisation to effectively manage its workforce, drop us an email at enquiries@rotamaster.co.uk
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