Rota Design for 2009 - North Western Deanery

7. Additional Advice1. If trusts employ junior doctor rota masters they mustensure that:i) Detailed training is provided on the New Dealand WTD requirements as well as covering areassuch as pay banding and the junior doctors’contractii) The junior doctor is given clear writteninstructions as to what is required of them fromthis post and the support that is available tothem, including appropriate lines of referral, toenable them to deliver on the agreed outcomes.2. Trusts should consider issuing the rota templatesagreed with the SHA at induction to all juniordoctors. Occasionally departmental rotas covering oncall requirements have failed to make it clear thatthe juniors have rostered half days or full days off onthe main rota template agreed with the SHA.Consequently rostered time off is not taken and therota monitor’s into Band 3. As the juniors were neverformally notified of the time off on the rota thesecases usually rule in favour of the juniors. A templateof the type of document that could be issued to alljuniors at induction is included in section 4d.When the juniors are issued with these templates atinduction it’s recommended that trusts keep a signedrecord of delivery and get agreement from all juniorsto exception reporting, ie that the juniors will reportany issues that lead to a deviation from the issuedwork pattern. This will allow trusts to identifyproblems on rotas rather than awaiting routine biannual monitoring data and encourages a proactivepartnership approach in modifying the rota.3. Trusts should implement clear department policiesspecifying the expected start and finish times forjunior doctor rotas within the department for thenormal working day and all out of hours shifts, aswell as the rostered time off on the rota. Anescalation policy in line with exception reportingprocedures should be included and be circulated tojuniors on induction.4. It may be possible to consider alternative residentworking patterns where local trust WTD policiesallow compensatory rest to be given in unpaid timeand New Deal requirements are likely to be met5. Remember that different stakeholders see the rotafrom a different perspective.34