11 | Improving Together
Following feedback from our Engagement Champions Our Engagement Champions continue to make suggestions on how to improve SaTH as place to work and receive treatment. Having already used their influence to remove the practice of charging staff for criminal background checks, increase the Trust’s Health and Wellbeing offer and played an instrumental part in the launch of MySaTH – our successful staff app – they have now: • Suggested that nursing staff stop being moved on the day to cover shortages, and this practice is replaced with a scheduled rotation. They have told the Trust’s senior leadership team that this option would be better received by nurses, and as a result of the feedback it is now being explored as a possibility.
Additional improvements as a result of their feedback includes: • More parking spaces are being created at both site by stoning over grass areas and potholes are being repaired, while further secure cycle shelters are going to be purchased. • Hot meals for staff working on Christmas Day to be provided free of charge. • Julia Clarke, Director of Corporate Governance, who heads up the Engagement Champion role, led engagements sessions at Pharmacy RSH, Women & Children’s and will be going to Pharmacy PRH. These were arranged by the Champions. Julia said: “We have just over 120 Engagement Champions across all areas of our organisation and in a short period of time they have helped make a really positive difference.”
Bank Nurse pay increase
AS A RES OF S TAF F SUURLT V F E E DB AC K E Y
The hourly rate paid to Bank Nurses working in a number of clinical areas increased as of Sunday 10 November – as a response to staff feedback. On top of the Working Time Directive 12.07% uplift currently received, Bank Nurses taking up shifts in A&E and Intensive Care, as well anyone opting for shifts on wards and departments highlighted as areas of concern for staffing, are now given an additional 12.93% extra per hour. This is an uplift of 25% above Agenda For Change rates for every shift, and is the comparable to the highest rate provided by any other local Trust. Barbara Beal, Interim Director of Nursing at SaTH, said: “The decision to approve this enhancement comes as a result of direct feedback from our teams on the frontline. Together we hope to see the following benefits: • • • • •
Increase quality to patients within our care Potential improvements to skill mix. Increase Bank fill rates Attract nurses from local areas to join our Bank Reduce costs by removing Tier 4 and 5 agency staff.
“Our workforce challenges at SaTH are no secret. Due to us not having as many substantive nurses as we would like, we are experiencing significant challenges with the retention of staff due to the constant requirement to move staff from their usual place of work to more vulnerable areas. By enhancing our Bank offer we hope in time to address some of these issues.” It has also been agreed to create a Bank Pool of nurses that can be directed to ‘hot spots’ each day. This new pool of Bank nurses – eight at RSH and eight at PRH – will cover areas with short notice issues, such as sickness. Rhia Boyode, Workforce Director at SaTH, said: “The views of our staff play a key role in our recruitment and retention strategy. We have listened to their feedback and are hopeful that the introduction of these schemes will encourage staff to work in the areas where there is a greater number of shifts to be filled.”