Safer staffing reporting at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

All NHS Trusts are required to publish information about the number of nurses and support workers on duty per shift. The initiative is part of the response to the Francis Report and follows the publication of guidance by the National Quality Board.

We are committed to providing useful and timely information to our patients and visitors. By publishing monthly information about our
staffing levels we will be able to clearly identify challenges to staffing and make improvements.

We are also displaying information for patients and visitors in all of our wards that shows the planned and actual staffing available at the start of every shift.

We are working to address the reasons why, at times, actual staffing levels do not meet the planned requirement. We are carrying out a major recruitment exercise for registered nurses and reviewing issues including staff sickness, vacancies and unavailability of bank or agency staff.

Staffing levels are published monthly on our website and our Board of Directors receive a monthly report including information about those wards where actual staffing numbers do not meet planned levels. Board reports include a list of actions to be taken and monitored.

Patient safety is a priority for all South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust staff. We have a ‘no blame’ reporting culture, supported by robust training, medicine-related audits and regular reviews of incidents.  
 
Staff are also encouraged to develop and deliver individualised medication plans, with our pharmacists providing them and patients with support and advice. Medication information sessions are also held across our clinical services for patients wanting to know more information about the drugs they’ve been prescribed.
 
This whole-system approach to medicines management, which involves patients, ensures lessons are learnt and staff are able to continually improve their prescribing practices. Nationally we have one of the lowest number of medication errors.

Click here to download Board papers

Click below to download a copy of the report:

For further information about our staffing levels please contact Director of Nursing Beverley Murphy.