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TRAINING PACKAGE – Effective use of data in job planning
Presentation slides and speaker notes 2.2
Session 2 - Effective use of
data in job planning
Presentation slides and speaker notes
These are key issues clinical managers must
consider when running a service. All four are
underpinned and informed by data and the
end result must be meaningful objectives at all
levels from the wider NHS through Trusts
down to individual clinical teams.
The NHS has considerable experience in
assessing demand and has become increasingly
sophisticated and accurate in predicting future
growth in demand. The areas to be considered
include the following bullet points. Most
clinical services would consider splitting activity
at least into elective and non elective streams
as appropriate. The last three points emphasise
the need not only to consider “more of the
same” but also to accept the need to “do
things differently”.
Consultant job planning toolkit (January 2005)
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TRAINING PACKAGE – Effective use of data in job planning
2.2 Presentation slides and speaker notes
There is significantly less experience in this
area and thus, data may be more difficult to
obtain and/or less accurate. Nonetheless it is
vital that clinical services make a robust
assessment of their capacity in order to
understand the predictable pressure points
upon those services.
Simple issues such as the number of times per
year a consultant is available to perform an
outpatient clinic for example may not always be
known. Assumptions that a consultant is available
52 weeks a year when in reality a senior
consultant with commitments to the wider NHS
may be available less than 40 weeks annually, can
lead to gross discrepancies between assumed
potential capacity and actual activity. It is
therefore vital that clinical managers understand
the details of numbers of times per year, weekly
job plans are performed, as well as the details of
numbers of clinics/lists available weekly and the
internal templates of those clinics etc.
This should be relatively easy, at least on an
historic basis. Mismatches between potential
capacity and activity may relate to false
assumptions in defining the capacity of a specialty
and may well lead to the inefficient running of
that service.
It is just as important to understand differences
between potential capacity and activity as
between activity and demand.
Costings are an important part of the equation as
the NHS is charged with providing a cost effective
as well as a clinically effective service. Looking at
average costs through HRGs (health related
groups - or groups of similar conditions treated in
similar ways and therefore incurring the same
costs) allows clinical managers to gain an
understanding of the costing of parts of their
service relative to NHS norms. This will become
increasingly important over time.
Looking at exceptional costs incurred through
purchasing extra contractual activity is important
both in understanding the total cost of providing
a clinical service and, as is often the case, show
that alternative plans to expand the basic
capacity of the service are more cost effective.
2.2.2
Consultant job planning toolkit (January 2005)
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TRAINING PACKAGE – Effective use of data in job planning
Presentation slides and speaker notes 2.2
The outcome of an analysis of capacity and
demand will undoubtedly identify mismatches
between the two. It is important to
understand and assess the risks to delivering a
service even when capacity and demand are
matched. A good example is a service which is
at significant risk if illness or injury befalls a
single-handed practitioner.
The task that falls to the clinical manager is to
plan appropriately, in terms of the overall
service, the key part of which is delivered by
the constituent consultant teams.
The later points once again emphasise the need
to consider working differently in terms of
people, location and technology and in
partnerships in order to job plan appropriately.
Each specialty needs to develop an information
framework pulling together information under
the following headings and based on
organisational objectives.
The major headings capture all the areas to be
considered when planning and developing
consultant job plans and the objectives contained
within them. Although it is obvious, it is
important to accept that different areas will be
the focus of attention for individual organisations
and clinical specialties, at different times. As a
result the specialties subheadings in each area
may or may not be relevant for a given clinical
specialty undertaking a prospective job planning
round but it is important to consider all the major
areas to ensure that the process is thorough and
complete. It is a dynamic process in that the
framework needs to be constantly using the most
up-to-date information.
The following slides demonstrate a framework
which can be adapted and developed by Trusts,
which is included as a delegate handout.
These are just some of the key headlines relating
to demand, capacity and activity data that have
already been discussed.
Consultant job planning toolkit (January 2005)
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TRAINING PACKAGE – Effective use of data in job planning
2.2 Presentation slides and speaker notes
This slide and the next four emphasise the need
to consider qualitative data and significant
events such as, major legal claims, serious
untoward incidents and other risk issues as
detailed in this slide.
The following slides highlight the points
to consider.
The need to work differently given changes in
working patterns and technology.
Be aware of other current medical
workforce agenda issues such as nonconsultant career grade reform, working time
regulations and modernising medical careers
and the impact these will start to have on the
medical workforce.
The changing workforce profile and the need to
take into account the effects of skill mix etc.
2.2.4
Consultant job planning toolkit (January 2005)
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TRAINING PACKAGE – Effective use of data in job planning
Presentation slides and speaker notes 2.2
Clinical developments either issued through
national guidance or a result of successful local
business cases may materially affect the way
services are delivered.
The buildings we work within and the clinical
networks designed to deliver services may
significantly impact upon the working patterns
of individual consultant teams.
Environmental factors and especially cleanliness
and infection rates are right at the top of the
current political agenda and many specialties
may find that they have priorities and objectives
related to this area.
The purpose of this slide is to emphasise that it
will not be perfect immediately. It is therefore
important to focus on what may be only one or
two key objectives initially and to recognise over
time the process will become increasingly
refined and sophisticated.
Emphasise to medical audiences that they do
not have to do this themselves. Most of this data
is routinely available and their managers and
information departments will know where to
obtain it. It is simply a question of knowing
where to look and collating the data into a
sensible format. Sufficient time should be given
to enable this information to be collated.
Consultant job planning toolkit (January 2005)
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TRAINING PACKAGE – Effective use of data in job planning
2.2 Presentation slides and speaker notes
Outcome
Through a structured review of capacity and
demand appropriate plans and objectives can be
set to meet demand at a clinical service level.
Those plans and resultant objectives form the
team objectives that the specialty must meet
through the combined job plans of its
constituent consultant teams. Whether the job
plans and objectives need to remain at specialty
level or need to be divided between consultant
teams depends on their nature and the
constitution of a specialty as well as the capacity
of the clinical managers. Over time as objective
setting and job planning becomes more
sophisticated, those objectives will become
increasingly unique to single consultant teams.
Team objectives may:
• remain at specialty level
• be divided equally amongst consultant teams
• be divided differentially between
consultant teams.
Dependent upon factors such as the nature of the
key objectives and the culture of the speciality.
2.2.6
Consultant job planning toolkit (January 2005)