Safer Staffing
Staffing levels by ward
Safer Staffing is a nationwide initiative that looks at the staffing levels of nurses, midwives and care staff in hospitals. The initiative is a requirement from the NHS Chief Nursing Officer England and the Care Quality Commission, and forms part of the NHS response to the Francis report which called for greater openness and transparency in the health service.
As part of the scheme, all hospitals have to provide data for the number of hours they planned for nurses, midwives and care staff to work on inpatient wards and the actual number of hours these staff worked. The aim is to provide an open and transparent account of staffing levels at hospitals, and for hospitals to be accountable for any staffing shortfalls.
The table below shows a summary of staffing levels for all inpatient and maternity wards at the RUH for the given month. The staffing level (which is sometimes referred to as the 'fill rate') is the percentage of hours that registered nurses and care staff actually worked on each ward out of the total number of hours staff were planned to work.
Six-Monthly Safer Staffing Report
May 2022
A full account of the data for the previous six months on a ward by ward basis can be downloaded as a PDF here:Six-Monthly Board Report - May 2022
March 2021
A full account of the data for the previous six months on a ward by ward basis can be downloaded as a PDF here:Why are we gathering this data?
Part of the reason we are gathering and publishing this data is so that we can closely monitor staffing levels to ensure they are adequate to provide the level and standard of care required. The data is reviewed by the Board each month and a Board report is drawn up to highlight areas where staffing needs to be improved and to say what we plan to do to make those improvements happen.
Friends and Family Test
Safer Staffing is just one of the ways we measure our performance. But listening to what our patients have to say is one of the best ways we can improve the services we offer. If you're an inpatient at the RUH or have been treated in our Emergency Department, you can fill in the Friends and Family Test. The feedback you give on this form - positive or negative - is invaluable in helping us make sure we are delivering the best care possible. You should be offered a form to fill in before you leave; if you haven't been offered one, please do ask the ward sister or ward clerk.If you have any concerns about the staffing levels of a specific ward, please contact the ward and ask to speak to the Senior Sister or Matron.
Summaries and Reports
2023
2022
2021
2020
Archive reports and summaries can be found here