Data Saves Lives: Workforce management remains absent

As the final data strategy has now been launched, and can be found here, it can be seen that the seven principles aiming to improve the use of data across the NHS have shifted and been tweaked, but our suggested amendment remains absent.

Nearly half of the NHS total budget is spent on workforce, and so, we recommended that an eighth principle was added to utilise data to improve workforce management and support NHS staff. This would aim to encourage the implementation of effective people analytics to collect, analyse and use workforce data to improve HR and management, identify issues, and actively improve the working lives of NHS staff across an organisation.

The data transformation proposed in the new strategy focuses on improving health and care both within the NHS and in the community with the better use of data and information, meaning that the bigger picture of effectively using data to support those delivering health and care is excluded from the principles.

We support systems and organisations to implement an effective data programme, mii People Analytics, which works with key functions to triangulate the various organisation datasets in use to easily obtain meaningful information relating to critical workforce issues. An advanced people analytics programme will advance workforce management efforts, enabling HR and workforce management to make meaningful decisions which benefit staff, and see problems or pain points before they occur.

The data strategy will be followed by the publication of the digital health and care plan, which the Department states will bring together the government’s aspirations for digital transformation for health and social care with an ambitious delivery plan. We hope that the plan places more focus on the use of data to better its people analytics, and supports its use to become a norm for effective workforce management. After all, the policy aims to move toward greater efficiency and innovation – if we can use workforce data to create a more efficient workforce, this creates the opportunity for innovation.

Click here to read more about mii People Analytics, or please get in touch to discuss how it can transform your workforce management at [email protected]