Nurses urged to cut shifts at Shropshire hospitals
Thursday 26th August 2010, 11:30AM BST.
Nurses and healthcare assistants at Shropshire’s two biggest hospitals are being asked to voluntarily cut short their daily shifts, as bosses try to make savings and stave off job cuts, it was revealed today.
The move is among a number of new measures being introduced by Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
The trust is under heavy Government pressure to make efficiency savings.
Staff will be asked to consider changing the way they work and there will also be a continuation of a major drive to reduce the cost of hiring agency workers at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal in Telford.
Trish Rowson, executive nurse at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said today: “In common with all parts of the NHS, and the wider public sector, we face additional challenges from the current financial climate.
“The Department of Health has made clear that the NHS needs to make £15-£20 billion productivity savings over the next four years and we need to play our part.
“We have a wide range of programmes in place that aim to reduce our costs whilst maintaining and improving the care we provide, and supporting the staff who provide that care.
“Our aim is to keep our services safe, keep our staff in jobs and avoid redundancies and continue to improve the care experience for patients.”
The changes include the introduction of “e-rostering,” which aims to ensure that the right nursing and support staff are available at the right time to provide the right care for patients in a roster which is fair for staff working in the team.
They also involve asking nurses and healthcare assistants, on a voluntary basis, to consider changes to the way they work – for example by shortening their daily shifts by half an hour and accumulating these hours to work an additional shift at a different time – and continuing major progress to reduce bank and agency costs.
A Surgical Admissions Suite will also allow more patients to be admitted on the day of surgery, rather than the day before, and there is also the introduction of an Enhanced Recovery Programme in specialities such as orthopaedic surgery.
By Russell Roberts
UK News
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As a nurse myself we already work hours a week unpaid due to no breaks or staying at the end of our shifts.
Wards are already staffed at dangerously low levels. This will compromise patient safety and wellbeing even more.
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That’s the way lets get rid of the staff that actually do the work and are needed for a hospital to run to save money.
Let’s employ more managers to make sure this happens
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Hey Jeff – are you trying to get yourself a job as a management consultant with the NHS Trust?
One tip – suggest that they increase pay levels for senior management and board members – that always goes down well…..
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You hit the nail on the head Jeff.
But this is was foreseeable, it is how the health trusts interpret the governments cuts.
The ridiculously high levels of admin staffing are deemed the most important part of running the NHS. Bring back the old fashioned Matron. they had a balanced approach and delivered better value for money.
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Will hospital bosses be leading by example and also cutting their own jobs, hours and working practices?
Thought not.
I was under the impression it was front line staff that were needed and management that were not? It will be interesting to see how this government expects to get more fore less.
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No need for cuts, David Cameron pledged
“I’ll cut the deficit, not the NSH”
http://yorkshireconservatives.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/poster_small.jpg
But then again he also promised all Cancer patients who were denied cancer Drugs would get them under a tory goverment, Oh wait yet another broken promise as that has now been pulled after all it was just another vote winner so job done, as for the libdems i’ll never vote for them again.
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Appalling that they are actually considering this, why not cut the hours of the managers and Chief Executive if they want to save money. Nurses are already underpaid and overworked, and they want them to cut their hours and receive even less.
This has to be stopped now before patients lives are lost.
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Agree with Jeff, get rid of some of the useless managers and leave the actual workers to get on with what they do.
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you are so right jeff . why are these people so short sighted . could it be they are trying to save their own skins , start at the top also office workers and bring back a matron to each ward .
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I agree with jeff. Taking it further, If you required urgent medical treatment, would you rather be treated by a consultant and their nurses, or a Chief Executive and their admin. staff?
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