1674 Training Opportunities and Safe Staffing Levels – Loop Closure Audit

Abstract

Abstract Aim It is not uncommon to find rota gaps at junior doctors’ level across many NHS Trusts within United Kingdom – especially in district general hospitals. In the trauma and orthopaedic department at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, there were significant rota gaps that frequently relied on locum doctors to provide adequate service coverage. The aim of the audit was to determine whether rota gaps had any impact on safe staffing levels, training of core surgical trainees (CSTs) and costs to the department. Method Retrospective audit - assess daily staffing levels as per rota for three weeks before and after implementation of recommended better utilisation of the department’s Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) to cover trauma wards. The audit took place over October 2018 – December 2018. Results There were safe staffing levels daily in both audits. Audit 1 demonstrated locum doctors were required to cover 36.6% of ward duties and 42.9% of oncall shifts – costing the department £25, 190. Following implementation of recommendation, where ACPs were rostered to cover trauma, audit 2 reduced the requirements of locum doctors for coverage of ward duties and oncalls to 23.7% and 33.3%, respectively. Protected theatre allocation of CSTs remained less than 1 day/week. The cost of locum doctors in audit 2 was reduced to £17, 050. Conclusions Through better utilisation of the department’s ACPs to cover trauma wards, we managed to significantly reduce cost of locum doctors by £8, 140 over a three-week period. We believe CST theatre allocation will also improve from this intervention.