Safer staffing levels in our hospitals

We know that having the right staff with the right skills in the right place at the right time is essential to the delivery of safe, high quality patient care.

That is why, following national guidance, we publish the planned and actual number of nursing and midwifery staff working on each ward, together with the percentage of shifts meeting safe staffing guidelines.  Safe staffing isn’t just about the number of staff on the ward. It is also about the different skills and qualifications staff have. The type of illness or conditions on particular wards also needs to be thought about.

Senior nursing staff review and record our staffing levels at every shift to make sure we continue to provide the best care and treatment for our patients.  Sometimes less staff are on duty than originally planned. This doesn’t mean staffing was unsafe, there are a number of reasons why this can happen. For example, if there are empty beds on a ward, they won’t need as many staff as when the ward was full.