Prioritising the frontline: Innovation in healthcare retail for efficiency gains

As a leader of an NHS Trust, driving efficiency improvements can be challenging when frontline teams are already time poor and run down. How do you deliver more when staff struggle to even find the time to eat and refuel - which has a knock-on effect for both productivity and patient care?  

These issues were highlighted in a recent survey of 8,573 health staff working in hospitals or mental health trusts throughout the UK¹. Of those queried for the study, it was revealed that 53% said they were unable to take regular breaks and 16% stated they only had enough time during busy shifts to eat snacks such as chocolate or crisps.

More so, the survey goes on to find that:

A report by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body² found that staff fatigue contributes directly and indirectly to patient harm, which can arise from factors such as insufficient rest facilities and inadequate rest breaks during and between shifts.