AHP 7-day working
United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust
Which (AHP) services have adopted 7-day working?
• Stroke Unit 2012 Jan.
• Orthopaedics 2013 Sept/Oct.
• Medical/Surgical 2014 May.
What were the drivers for this change?
• Stroke Unit- Commissioned service with an expectation of 5
day (45min) Standard 7. Initial local thoughts that would be a 7
day contact expectation. Expectation that assess patient within
24hrs of admission.
• Orthopaedic- Enhanced recovery programme, reduced
mortality figures.
• Medical/Surgical - Keogh reduction in mortality figures. Trust
moving one site to seven day working Lincoln selected initially
with all sites moving.
What were the staff engagement processes used during
this change?
• Consultation with all staff groups , contract change.
• Opportunity for 1:1’s frequently asked questions
• Each speciality met with team leads to discuss potential
issues
• Delivered to staff
• Met again to discuss implementation allow time for
feedback
• Review after implementation with key members /
representation of team
Were AHPs involved in leading this change?
Yes in conjunction with Human Resources
How well have AHPs adapted to this change?
Have some adapted differently than others?
Occupational Therapy have struggled due to small numbers of staff.
Prior to implementation:
1:1’s individual consulted re personal circumstances
Grief cycle
Fears:
 Stress – no evidence
 Leadership - more static posts
 Quality- no increase in complaints
 Prioritisation- may have some impact
 Supervision- no evidence
 Childcare at weekends
How well have AHPs adapted to this change?
Have some adapted differently than others?
After implementation:
• Benefits realised re use of days off to reduce annual leave used in
school holidays.
• Ability to access amenities in the week
Are partnership changes/agreements in place with Local
Authority services to support ULH 7-day working
patterns?
• No
• As trust moves in this direction then talks with other
providers to join up this work.
Were pilot projects used in the first instance? If so, how long
did they run for and how were they evaluated?
Pilot in Grantham Orthopaedics
What is working well and not so well?
Positive:
• Forced teams to improve communication
• Forced teams to work together to cover rota’s
• Clearer SOP’s in place
• Manager rota
Challenges:
• Reduced workforce in the week
• Prioritisation of patients
• Annual leave/ sickness impacts
• More difficult to track individuals
What outcome measures/metrics are being used to
evidence impact on service delivery/patient experience?
• Patient satisfaction surveys
• Staff stress survey
• Quality ward audits
What are the future plans for 7-day working at UHL ….?
All Trust services to become 7/7 this financial year.