Digital staffing initiative unlocks flexible working for London medics
Thousands of junior doctors in London are to gain access to greater flexible working, following the introduction of a new digital staffing initiative being launched by Barts Health NHS Trust to tackle workforce pressures.
From September, more than 4,000 medics working across the Bart’s Health NHS Trust will be invited to join a new ‘digital staff bank’, which has been designed to make it easier for approved clinicians to pick up vacant shifts and work flexibly across each of the trust’s hospital sites.
The platform will enable the trust to instantly broadcast vacant shifts to a vast network of approved medics. Clinicians who are registered with the bank will then be able to apply for their preferred shifts via a connected app.
Use of the digital staff bank – which is being delivered in partnership with doctor-led staffing specialists Patchwork Health – will reduce time-intensive administration for staffing teams, by making it quicker and easier for them to source temporary workers. This will help them to reduce reliance on external agencies to fill vacant shifts, while giving clinicians greater control over when and where they work.
A connected data analytics tool, Patchwork Insights, will also give workforce teams at the trust access to a wealth of metrics and reporting capabilities generated by staff bank activities. It will surface valuable insights on staffing trends from across the trust, including the number of vacancies, shift fill rates, and pay rates across departments and sites. This will provide increased oversight and help the trust to deliver improved data-driven staffing.
The digital staff bank is being rolled out across the trust’s five main hospital sites: St Bartholomew’s, The Royal London, Mile End, Whipps Cross, and Newham. Following this initial roll-out, the initiative is set to expand to support additional clinicians and increase workforce collaboration in the capital.
John Simon, Head of Temporary Staffing at the Trust, commented: “The Trust is quite excited to partner with Patchwork on this innovative platform which will enhance the working experience of our staff and by extension, benefit patient care. We are encouraged by the positive results seen by some of our neighbouring organisations and look forward to a productive partnership.”
Dr Anas Nader, Co-Founder and CEO at Patchwork Health, commented: “We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust to support more flexible, sustainable staffing through the creation of this bespoke digital staff bank. Initiatives like these are paramount to supporting clinician wellbeing and boosting retention, while helping NHS teams weather rising workforce pressures and keep services running in line with patient demand. They are vital to building a strong, healthy and happy NHS workforce for future generations to come. We’re excited to continue innovating to support this with Barts Health NHS Trust, alongside our other fantastic NHS partners.”
