The NHS has introduced a new electronic rostering system at St Helier hospital. The old paper rostering system allowed staff to declare days they were unable to work and days they would prefer to work. It has been replaced by a new ‘e-rostering’ system, where a computer designs the working rota automatically.
The proposal, which had been under discussion for some time, was introduced last month on all wards operating 24-hours per day at St. Helier hospital. Staff said they were not officially told about the new scheme but posters were put up a month prior to them being given their new work rotas.
The system was introduced to help improve the workforce's productivity and the NHS has given staff a guide to implementing the system in their workplace. The guide states that the new system will offer easy access to workforce information, more productive use of staff and improved clinical leadership.
The system has failed on St Helier's accident and emergency ward and staff have returned to using the original paper rostering. One worker on the Maternity ward at St. Helier said “They’ve given me shifts that mean I can’t look after my children when they finish school. We want the old paper rostering to be reintroduced”. Another said: “It disregards our personal lives; I don’t want to be told by a computer when I have to work” Staff say flexibility is important when working shifts. However, it’s early days and the system may prove successful over time.
