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This conference focuses on the effective management and support of temporary clinical staff in the NHS including bank, agency staff and locum doctors. With current understaffing issues prominent in the NHS temporary staff provide an essential service, however studies have shown that there are also patient safety risks and considerations which can be mitigated through effective management and support which will also improve wellbeing and experience for temporary staff, and patient experience and outcomes.
“The cost to the health service of hiring temporary workers sits at a staggering £3 billion a year.”
Department of Health and Social Care, 13th November 2024
“Elements of the NHS are currently unable to function safely without the use of temporary staff.”
Workforce and patient safety: temporary staff - integration into healthcare providers, HSSIB 2024
“Many of the gaps in staffing left by the shortfall are filled using temporary staff, with ‘an estimated four in five registered nurse vacancies and seven in eight doctor vacancies … being filled by temporary staff… Data provided by NHS England indicated that the shifts completed by agency staff in 2023 cost £3.4bn, which was approximately 2.3% of the overall workforce budget.”
Health Services Safety Investigation Body 2024
“Temporary staffing solutions are integral to the running of the NHS….To fill service gaps and ensure safe staffing levels, the NHS is firmly reliant on temporary staffing and international recruitment… There is also increasing evidence that use of temporary staffing – particularly agency staff – can negatively impact on patient and staff experience, and continuity of care”
NHS Long Term Workforce Plan NHS England
This conference will enable you to:
Network with colleagues who are working to improve the management and support for temporary staff in the NHS including locums and bank and agency staff
Reflect on the experience of temporary clinical staff in the NHS
Identify patient safety risks and challenges associated with temporary staff in your service
Reflect on national developments and learning
Implement the recommendations from the 2024 HSSIB patient safety and workforce reports
Improve the way you onboard and induct temporary staff
Develop your skills in supporting and nurturing temporary staff to aid retention, wellbeing and patient safety
Update your knowledge on current and future changes to employment law
Identify key strategies for identifying competence and managing redeployment
Improve involvement of temporary staff in patient safety investigations
Ensure temporary staff are able to raise concerns about patient safety
Self assess and reflect on your own practice
Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes
