One Care is working with health system partners on an exciting new project to improve collaborative working across primary and community care in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG).
The project – known as the collaborative bank – will enable sharing of staff across primary and community care in BNSSG. It aims to increase workforce agility, reduce the need to use agency staff, and give staff the opportunity to develop their skills and experience across the BNSSG health and care system. It will also enable a collaborative approach to using our limited staff resources where they are most needed.
The process will be managed digitally through a web and phone-based app, which has been developed by a company called Ryalto. Ryalto has experience of running similar projects elsewhere in the country, although this is the first time such a project is being led by general practice.
Through the app, staff will be able to book shifts at other practices and in community care settings, in addition to their core place of work. Available shifts can be filtered by competency or by role to give as much flexibility, choice and opportunity as possible for both employers and staff.
It is hoped the system will reduce the need to use expensive agency staff, which will reduce costs for the employer. Additionally, the staff member’s pay rate will follow them into the alternative place of work and they will continue to be paid by their usual employer.
The project is currently in the customisation phase, with practices and other partners providing feedback about their local requirements to Ryalto.
This feedback will support Ryalto to tailor the app and its functionality to the needs of local staff and employers for the best results.
Jim Hodgson, One Care’s Programme Manager for urgent care, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Ryalto and colleagues from BNSSG primary and community care to develop this solution. As a health and care system, we need to address the 21st century workforce challenges we are now facing; it’s clear that 21st century technology will play a big role in solving these problems.”