The winter months are especially challenging for the NHS with a heightened demand for services and an increase in staff absence, creating the need for temporary and agency staff.
Winter NHS challenge
Over a quarter of all NHS employee absence days in 2018 were due to minor illnesses, including coughs and colds, according to the Office for National Statistics. These sickness days peak during the winter months as the cold weather sets in, which alongside employees taking annual leave to spend time with their families, often means the NHS faces staffing challenges over the Christmas period. The NHS turns to temporary and agency staff to help fill this gap and continue clinical patient services.
Securing temporary staff
Management of temporary staff can be laborious and it is important to remove inefficient, manual processes that delay new employees getting on with their jobs. Automated solutions, such as BDS’ Directory Manager allows staff member data to be inputted once, removing the need to repeat tasks or for multiple people to access and update different systems, eliminating typos and correctly inserting data into one system.
Security is also enhanced, as temporary workers are usually engaged for a set period. With Directory Manager, their access can just as quickly be removed from the system, ensuring those no longer employed by the NHS do not have access to critical systems.
The NHS will continue to struggle more than most organisations at Christmas due to seasonal trends, but technology can lend a helping hand by automating essential processes and ensuring that temporary staff are able to quickly help relieve some of the pressure.
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