Safe staffing levels

We are committed to ensuring that levels of nursing staff, which include registered nurses, midwives and unregistered health care assistants (HCA’s), match the care needs of patients within clinical ward areas in the Trust.

This includes an appropriate level and skill mix of nursing staff to provide safe and effective care. Staffing levels are viewed along with reported outcome measures, ‘registered nurse to patient ratios’ and the number of staff per shift required to provide safe and effective patient care.

Safe staffing levels are managed on a daily basis. At the daily staffing meetings, the matrons and ward managers, supported by the associate director of nursing discuss the overall view of their wards for the next three shifts by registered and unregistered workforce numbers and ratios. Consideration is given to acuity and dependency on the wards, as well as bed capacity and operational activity within the trust which may impact on safe staffing.

Safe staffing level reports

We make our ward staffing levels information available in a monthly report. 

Staffing Return August 2024 [PDF 163KB].

The report contains details of the staffing hours assigned to each ward and how many hours were worked in the month.

Exception reports provide commentary on issues identified and the circumstances that have affected staffing levels on a particular ward