Nursing and midwifery safe staffing (inpatient bedded area)

NHS Digital safe staffing data: Planned vs actual hours (including care hours per patient day, CHPPD)

Definition of planned and actual hours data:

• Planned hours = Budgeted hours within a ward area (registered or unregistered nursing)
• Actual hours = Worked hours on a ward (registered or unregistered nursing)

Note when reviewing the data:

• Where there are monthly actual hours over/under planned, this has been known at the time of a shift and reviewed by a senior nurse with any mitigating actions put in place to always ensure patients are safe and cared for. We have a staffing escalation process in place cross site to ensure every nurse in charge of a shift can always escalate any staffing concerns. These will be reviewed at the time of a concern being raised, and actions taken to ensure patient safety.
• Actual hours under planned for the month in any particular clinical area can be due to a planned decision to safely reduce staffing due to service needs. These service needs can be due under occupancy / demand of a service or through reduced patient acuity/dependency. Due to the national standards of reporting, this would still show as actual hours under planned.
• Actual hours under planned on any particular area, does not mean there was unsafe staffing levels. Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust ensure at all times patients are safe and well cared for.

Care Hours per patient Day: Definition, what this is and the benefits to health providers. 

For any further enquires on the data, please contact Neil Webb, neil.webb1@nhs.net