In 2009 a Healthcare Commission report revealed higher than expected deaths at a Hospital in the Midlands. The Trust found itself at the centre of House of Commons debates, and a major inquiry. Patient care, staffing levels, facilities, equipment, procedures and systems were all to be overhauled.
A transformation programme was produced in response to the Healthcare Commission recommendations, and subsequent reports. The Trust's interim Chief Executive at the time, suggested many of the improvements were basic measures already taken for granted at most Hospitals. “Staffing is the most obvious thing people will focus on and we want to get our staffing levels right. We will then look at it again to make sure it is still right."
Independent Clinical Services’ (ICS) relationship with the Trust began in mid 2008. The Trust were aware they had an acute staffing crisis and were struggling to cover shifts across several wards and departments. They had exhausted their flexible staffing options, which consisted of overtime, Bank staff and PASA approved suppliers.
They identified ICS as a viable and professional alternative to their usual flexible staffing options, and to satisfy various compliancy regulations, several solutions were discussed. ICS began by supplying nurses for single adhoc shifts to demonstrate the quality, not only of the nurses, but also the service available to them. The Trust identified specific clinical areas regularly left short staffed and ‘block booked’ ICS nurses to cover these. The nurses ICS supplied ensured that the Hospital was able to maintain their operational and clinical objectives, and when the report was published they already had in place a supplier that could help meet their needs.
Following the report in March and the subsequent transformation programme the Trust outlined its intention to recruit 40 extra nurses. While the prospective new nurses were being recruited and inducted, the Trust increased their use with ICS for up to 20 full time equivalents on a weekly basis. This gave the capacity to satisfy the recommendations in the programme, continuing to maintain operational and clinical standards. Once their nurses were available to the Trust, they reduced the number of staff required from their flexible staffing providers. ICS continues to supply staff for specialist areas and specific projects.
Going forward the Trust now has the confidence that if a staffing crisis arises in the future, they have a supplier who has a proven track record and capacity to safely meet their expectations.
Healthcare organisations throughout the UK rely on temporary staff to manage the peaks and troughs of demand. In most cases they create a list of suppliers that meet certain criteria. The suppliers who meet these criteria (the preferred supplier, framework supplier) are often able to fulfill requests given with a long lead time, that are regular placements and the staff required have a standard skill set. In the main these suppliers meet the demand, however when it comes to staff with specialist skill sets, unplanned increases in admissions or urgently needing to open extra capacity, these preferred suppliers are often unable to meet this demand. Many organisations just live with this, not knowing that there is a solution in these circumstances.
NHS Direct found themselves in this situation, requiring extra capacity from temporary staff. Over 10 sites required additional staffing due to operational restructuring and the Department of Health’s support of NHS preparedness, to reduce the impact of pandemic flu on the UK population. Their planning identified a shortfall of over 100 FTE nurses nationally which their preferred suppliers were unable to fully deliver. NHS Direct knew that there was an option for them to explore. They needed a specialist supplier, with the resources, coverage and capacity to solve this problem and knew to ring ICS for assistance.
NHS Direct discussed with us a number of options for bridging the gap between what the preferred suppliers could fill and what they needed. To date we have supplied over 70 FTE nurses for the 1st wave with over 30 FTE available to the 2nd wave. Additionally the lead time was tight. NHS Direct had organised training with their other providers at the sites involved and we had to work to this, not meeting their deadline was not an option. ICS had less than 7 days to identify the staff and ensure they all arrived briefed and on time, to the 7 sites from Newcastle to Beckenham in South London.
Getting off on the right foot with NHS Direct, giving them strong customer service from the call centre team and local support from our Regional Managers has ensured the ramp up of staff complimented their operational plans.
What do you do when the influx of patient admissions and staff sickness during the winter exceeds your operational capacity? Turning patients away or closing beds is often considered which could compromise the patient experience. And according to the Royal College of Nurses 4 out of 10 nurses say staff shortages already compromise patient care at least once a week.
An RCN manifesto to all the political parties says NHS employers must assure themselves they have safe staff levels. The RCN has issued its 2009 Employment Survey which covers the views of 9,000 nurses. It shows that more than half (55%) say they are too busy to provide the level of care they would like. Almost two thirds (67%) consider their workload is too heavy. And nurses say they are looking after more patients on the wards.
Dr Peter Carter, head of the RCN, said staff were concerned that they were delivering the basics but were unable to provide the full range of quality care they would like. He said: "Nurses and healthcare assistants feel up against it, worn down and exhausted by the pressure to make efficiencies and frustrated by being prevented from delivering the quality of care they want to be providing." Dr Carter said: "The nursing workforce has grown in recent years but only just enough to keep up with rising demands on healthcare. We expect the next few years will be the most challenging for staff levels in decades. There is considerable pressure to cut staff numbers without taking patient needs into consideration. Policy makers must look at the workforce in conjunction with their ability to deliver high quality and safe care."
Karen Charman, head of employment services at NHS Employers which represents trusts in England, said NHS organisations certainly needed to have a clear method of working out safe staffing levels in order that patient care was not harmed. "There are a number of different ways of achieving this and we believe that this should be determined at local level," she said. "Advice from professional bodies is extremely important to help trusts ensure that clinical standards and staffing levels are right to ensure the safety of patients. However, fixed staffing ratios do not provide the flexibility to meet differing local circumstances and care settings. Employers are increasingly examining the different roles within their workforce to best use the skills of their staff."
As we approach the winter period staffing pressure will undoubtedly increase and we are receiving enquiries from across the UK, from NHS managers looking at different options available to them when they are in this situation. They want to keep beds open, continue admitting patients and open a ward, giving extra beds and capacity to deliver high quality and safe care but don’t have the resources available. ICS are in the unique position to help these trusts this winter by providing different options. These could be adhoc staff or a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, whether that’s to fully staff a ward or backfill areas left short, when trusts examine the different roles within their workforce to best use the skills of their staff where they are needed. We will be supporting many NHS trusts this winter with a flexible and dedicated workforce, which compliments their existing skill sets and helps them deliver high quality and safe care.
The second wave of the flu pandemic is under way with the HPA reporting that rates of flu-like illness and related activity have shown further increases in England, with 27,000 cases this week, up from 18,000 in the previous week. Current figures suggest that so far the virus is spreading more slowly than could have been the case. This is good news and gives added importance to get the vaccine to as many people as possible, as soon as possible. Although the slower spread can be welcomed, the number of people in intensive care as a result of complications from H1N1 is still relatively high and emphasises the public health importance of the vaccine.
With the start of the vaccination programme imminent, it is worth taking a moment to be sure that the that the NHS is at as higher state of readiness as possible as we enter the winter months, and delivering an effective vaccination programme will go a long way to ensuring this.
ICS are working with a number of trusts across the UK to assist them with their immunisation programmes, helping them with nurses to carry out immunisations, provide triage nurses for telephone assessments & advice, distribute Tamiflu/Relenza to ‘Flu Buddies’, aid Practice Nurses and assist school medical centres. All staff are UK based and fully appraised of the DOH ‘Swine Flu’ guidelines. Additionally we screen all nurses for ‘Swine Flu’ prior to every placement and have been doing so since early this year.
Since 1983 we have been at the forefront of the nursing agency market pioneering leading recruitment and placement standards and consistently provide quality staff at the right time; meeting and exceeding the standards of CSCI and PASA.
Much has changed in the healthcare sector since 1983, but one thing that has remained constant is the need for an experienced nursing agency. TNS provides the experience, flexibility, consistency and reliability that today’s healthcare organisations need and the demand for our healthcare professionals is higher in 2008 than ever before.
When the first nurse registered 25 years ago we recognised the importance of recruiting experienced, highly skilled healthcare professionals and provided them with the support and rewards they deserved. We continue this commitment to all our healthcare professionals to this day.
Underpinning our service are healthcare professionals who time and again provide our customers with exceptional commitment and dedication and who are motivated by the job satisfaction of providing exceptional nursing care.
Julie Holbrook joined Thornbury Nursing Services in 1984 as a registered nurse. “I can pick the work I want from the computer. I have been a Sister in the NHS and now I want to enjoy my job. I enjoy the freedom and choice that working with Thornbury gives me. I am able to focus on patient care and get tremendous job satisfaction without the politics.”
Owen Saysell has been a Thornbury agency nurse since 1990. He has found Thornbury a good company to work for “I find Thornbury really easy to deal with. They provide training and a pension and I have been able to treat the family to nice holidays. You feel valued and the company has the right ethos, you look after your nurses”
When Owen was asked what was the most unusual assignment he had been sent on he replied “I was asked to nurse a Lord at home in his mansion who had maids and servants and it was a terrific insight into how the other half live”
The attitude and approach our nurses have to agency work is highlighted by Owen “You have to be flexible and I prioritise my work load and take it step by step and get on with it. Keeping a positive attitude and a smile on your face reassures the client that you are here to help.” Julie said “I politely introduce myself and show humility. Being self assured and resourceful really helps as you never know what you are going to get”. Anna Rose, who joined Thornbury in 1999 adds “You have to get stuck in and make yourself part of the team. Even if you think you have more experience and are more qualified you should never assume you know more than those around you. You need to be aware of what is going on around you and identify where you can help others”.
Asked why she joined us she replied “When I had children I had a FT position as a sister in ITU and the responsibility of that post didn’t offer the flexibility I needed at that time. Thornbury offered me that and was well recognised with a good reputation”. The recruitment standards were also a decisive factor. “I liked the professionalism of the organisation. Thornbury are choosy about who they take on and not just anyone can join.”
We offer all our nurses free COPD training and mandatory updates keeping them up to date in the field. Julie said “being an agency nurse and being out of the NHS I have found the free COPD training and mandatory training updates were excellent and really valuable to help me keep up to date in the field”
Anna Rose benefited from the training that is offered “As I had the transferable skills I was assigned to assist the renal dialysis nurses in a renal unit. I worked regularly on a particular renal unit to gain the clinical experience and Thornbury supported me by sending me on conferences to help me keep up to date with current practice. This consolidated my skills and now I can work as a renal dialysis nurse”
The feedback these nurses have received for their commitment and consistent work ethic reflects the quality, flexibility and recognition we have provided since 1983. Owen reports that “I get lots of thanks and a number of clients know they can place me where they want and I will get the job done. I have been told that when they get a Thornbury nurse they will be getting a good nurse” Anna Rose added “I have had staff say to me you are a TNS nurse and we are confident that we can let you get on with it”
In 2008 we continue to provide more clients in the healthcare sector with nurses of the calibre of Julie, Owen and Anna Rose than ever before. We will continue doing so for many years to come and are committed to building partnerships towards a healthier future.
If you would like additional time sheets sent out to your home address you can now make this request online.
Click here to go to the ‘Timesheets and Payments’ section of the Nurses’ page.
Fill out the online timesheet request with your name and TNS number and your timesheets will be sent out to you.
We are delighted to announce Thornbury has moved to new premises. Our new home is Estune Business Park in Long Ashton, Bristol. Estune Park provides brand new, purpose built accommodation which fulfils our requirements for modern office and training facilities.
Our new premises accommodates all of Thornbury's current activities, and offers greater flexibility for our future. These include: state of the art call centre facilities, recruitment team for temporary and permanent staff, finance and payroll team, marketing and sales team, dedicated onsite IT support, an increased number of meeting rooms, flexible training facilities, able to offer up to 3 sessions simultaneously and better parking facilities.
In addition the office also incorporates many environmentally friendly features such as motion sensor lighting.
Our new address is: Unit A, Estune Business Park, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41 9FH.
Our phone numbers are:
Call Centre 0845 120 5305
Recruitment 0845 120 5252
Payroll 0845 120 5333
Training 0845 120 5251
General Fax 0845 120 5340
We look forward to welcoming you to our new headquarters, whether you are dropping off timesheets, attending a study day or stopping by for a chat.
The Spring 2007 issue of our nursing newsletter called Care Matters is now available to view / download.
Please click the following link for an Adobe PDF version.
Care Matters - Issue 7 (Spring 2007 )
The Spring 2006 issue of our nursing newsletter called Care Matters is now available to view / download.
Please click the following link for an Adobe PDF version.
Care Matters - Issue 6 (Spring 2006 )
This year RCN Congress will return to Bournemouth. Thornbury Nursing Services will be exhibiting one again. The stand will as always be lively with opportunities to win prizes and to be entered for our prize draw. Members from our recruitment and client teams will be on the stand, alongside some of our Thornbury nurses to answer any queries about joining Thornbury, or the services we provide.
The theme for Congress this year is “Nursing the World” with Congress running from 23rd -27th April and the exhibition from 24th – 26th April 2006. Congress includes debates, workshops and seminars, the opportunity to network with colleagues and of course the UK’s biggest nursing exhibition which is open to both RCN members and non RCN members
This year Thornbury are proud to be sponsoring a Congress Reception, “Scanning the UK political landscapes” presented by Scott Greer, Honary Senior Fellow, School of Public Policy, UCL. The event will be held on Tuesday 25th April 2006 at the Highcliffe Hotel, Bournemouth from 6.00pm – 7.45pm.
|
|
