January 2012 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

SWBTB (1/12) 275 (a)
2. Total Agency Use Nursing – December 2011
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
2007 -2008
2008 - 2009
2009 - 2010
2010 - 2011
2011-2012
100
0
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
3. Total Bank & Agency Use Nursing – December 2011
8000
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2007 -2008
2008 - 2009
2009 - 2010
2010 - 2011
2011-2012
2000
1000
0
Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
The Board will see that over the years reliance on bank/agency staffing has reduced
considerably with 2010/11 having the lowest recorded rates. However, there have been
some months in 2011 that exceed 2010 rates, despite there being less activity and less open
beds. It is thought that this is partly in response to quality concerns in light of CQC reports
and better information regarding staffing ratios leading to an increase in mitigation action.
Another explanation for the increase is the move of community services to the Trust. The
community were fairly high users of agency staff which explains much of the increase in
agency numbers. Work is ongoing to convert community agency workers to our bank.
2.5 Safer Nursing Care Tool
We are continuing to use this tool which is recommended nationally and regionally as a
reasonable measure of patient acuity at a given point in time.
Used in conjunction with e‐rostering we will be better abled eventually to match staff
resources to patient need.
The tool has been used on all adult in patient areas twice now but there continues to be
significant problems with nurses correctly rating patients acuity/dependency and until this is
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