Ministerial Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce

1

Employers have appropriate staffing levels and the systems or mechanisms in place so staff are able to take contractual and statutory breaks to which they are entitled.  This will include a review of the mechanisms by which breaks are affected (such as rota design and associated workforce planning tools).

2

The Scottish Government will develop mechanisms/a toolkit to ensure staff have all their essential needs met whilst at work. This will consider core aspects of need such as physical needs, physical safety, emotional safety and psychological safety.

3

At a national level, the Scottish Government, NHS employers and trade unions and professional organisations will review and update the definition of what flexible working means in the context of nursing and midwifery rostered environments. Following this review, flexible working practices will be promoted and implemented for both nursing and midwifery professions to ensure flexible options for staff in all roles.

4

The Scottish Government, NHS employers and trade unions and professional organisations will develop national rostering and e-rostering guidance and training to ensure it promotes a culture of flexibility and shared decision making, including team-based rostering to improve the work life balance of nursing and midwifery staff. 

5

The Scottish Government, NHS employers and trade unions and professional organisations will systematically identify effective approaches to team-based rostering and give support for progressive implementation across the whole system, to promote a culture that embraces flexibility and work life balance. The review should include (a) establish what shift patterns and rota designs and on call provisions are currently used and to what extent and (b) understand the impact on staff wellbeing and safe and effective care, in order to identify if changes to shift patterns and rota and rota design and on call provisions for nurses and midwives are necessary.

15

The Scottish Government will commission a review of data inputting and paperwork requirements within all nursing and midwifery roles to establish which: 
1) are duplication of other inputs and requirements and 
2) are non-essential either legally or for the purposes of patient safety. It will identify which ones can be removed.

As part of the review, to reduce the administrative burden on nurses and midwives it will consider the effectiveness of current business systems and administrative processes and the Scottish Government will act on the findings to allow nurses and midwives to focus their time on direct clinical patient care.

16

The Scottish Government will review the predicted absence allowance in the staffing level tools used by NHS Scotland to ensure it is fully reflective of the non-clinical aspects of nursing and midwifery roles and realistic levels of absence; where the relevant duties under the Health and Social Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 apply and applied in a consistent manner across NHS Scotland. This will support Employers in meeting their duties under this Act. Where the Act does not apply to encourage adoption of this approach as best practice.

17

The Scottish Government will give consideration for future proofing, centrally led system commissioning for interconnected communication across healthcare in Scotland. (Links to recommended action 15.  Remaining paperwork, systems and platforms to be reviewed to improve compatibility, simplicity and accessibility for end users.)

18

Employers will put in place a fair, consistent and transparent process to deciding which staff are moved to other areas based on their skills, knowledge and experience.

19

When staff are moved, the receiving area will give an adequate handover, orientation and resources to undertake role to ensure that patient and service user outcomes and staff wellbeing are not compromised.

20

When staff are given temporary responsibility for additional cases, employers will put in place a clear process of prioritisation based on dynamic risk assessment and identified mitigations to ensure workload remains manageable.

21

Employers will ensure a clear route of escalation is available to staff members who are moved and/or given additional temporary responsibility and feel that client/patient safety and outcomes are negatively impacted as a result, or who consequently feel unable to provide safe client/patient care.