Working with electronic staff record experts, the NHS have published a guide to help Allied Health Professional (AHP) services ensure their data is accurate and consistent.
As the report explains, “The electronic staff record (ESR) provides an integrated HR and payroll system for NHS organisations. Trusts use it to hold data for about 1.4 million staff.
“Effective workforce planning is essential if the NHS is to supply the staff to meet changing healthcare needs. ESR can support local, regional and national workforce planning if the information in it is accurate.”
The NHS’s workforce accounts for about 70% of its total costs, so it is important to have accurate and concise data for an effective workforce plan.
It is ‘critical’ the NHS can understand the current position and direction of the AHP workforce and report on it reliably; this guidance helps to achieve that goal.
Richard Evans, Society and College of Radiographers CEO, commented, “The ESR has suffered from a reputation of being inaccurate and unreliable as a source of up-to-date information about NHS staff.
“This current project aims to help AHPs like radiographers and their managers ensure that the data that is held on the ESR is as accurate as it can be. It is a massive project but the idea of allowing staff access to their own records is a good way of tackling the task.
“I hope that imaging and radiotherapy department managers will work with their teams to ensure that the information held about them on ESR is correct.”
The guidance document covers why it is important to address ESR, how ESR is more than a payroll system and seven steps to improving ESR, which include:
1) Using manager self-service
2) Using employee self-service
3) Checking information
4) Linking staffing information
5) Ensuring processes support ESR
6) Keeping ESR accurate
7) Checklist of actions.
You’ll also find links to online resources and ESR special interest groups within the document.