Flexible Capacity change ideas

Below are the changes that can be made to your system which should help increase flexible capacity with in the service. Prioritise which change ideas to implement first based on what you have learnt whilst understanding your current system.

Skill mix and role development

Conduct training: Ensuring that all staff have received basic training as well as opportunities to develop their skills further will allow more sustainable service planning. Understand who can do what and think skills first and professional groups second (with an awareness of good job design and staff retention).

Implement cross-training: Cross-training allows staff to do multiple jobs. This approach allows flexibility within a service. This will allow you to succession plan and enable colleagues to work interchangeably if one needs to be absent from work at short notice.

Extend specialists time: Are there specialists within your service who are not currently using their specialist skills and knowledge to full effect? Freeing up specialist’s time could help in tackling constraints within your service, looking for ways to remove assignments and roles.

Job planning

Consider people in the same system: Staff can often end up working toward different goals/purposes whilst all trying to improve their own way of working. This will cause variation across the system. Steps should be taken to ensure that staff are working towards the same optimal purpose.

• using annualised sessions
• split between a combination of fixed and flexible
• creates a more responsive service that can adapt as required
• job planning principles can be applied to all members of staff and tools currently used by medical staff, and
• agree standard tariffs (time allocation) within the team for common activities.

Service cross cover arrangements

Develop contingency plans: Contingency planning is a great way to reduce variation caused by everyday life scenarios. Identify where colleagues can work interchangeably if one needs to be absent from work in short notice.

Your change ideas

If you have developed your own change ideas that could be included in this change package then get in touch through the feedback form or by emailing us at his.accessqi@nhs.scot. 

Return to Stage 4: Implementing and refining changes.