Why job planning needs better data

We summarise how poor visibility of clinical activity can throw a department off balance – and what we can do about it.

Job planning shouldn’t have to be as complex as it often is for workforce teams. Put simply, job planning involves matching clinicians with activities that need completing. But in practice, it’s rarely this straightforward.

For any departments juggling priority emergency duty cover, year-round service requirements, and the other everyday realities of annual and professional/study leave, it gets complicated – fast. Without accurate, up-to-date data, it’s not just scheduling that suffers – it’s:

• Patient care
• Staff workload
• Health and wellbeing
• Recruitment and retention
• Organisational finances

Losing sight of the full picture

Accurate rota patterns are essential for planning and meeting true service capacity. Many clinicians, particularly consultants, work rosters that span the full year, even though they’re only contracted for around 42 of the 52 weeks when allowing for holiday and professional/study leave. If this isn’t properly reflected in job plans, organisations risk underestimating clinical hours available, leading to a shortfall. These are subsequently filled as last-minute gaps – often at premium rates.

In one worked example, misaligned planning for 8 surgeons on a 1-in-8 rota would lead to a shortfall of 230 clinical hours. That’s the equivalent of 420 fewer patients seen annually across clinics and theatres. If the Trust had tried to cover this at late notice, the cost would exceed £40,000 – for just one roster. The true cost to the organisation should be calculated by taking this figure and multiplying across the number of similar working arrangements. Beyond the financial hit, the knock-on effects include less planned care, more cancellations, and growing waiting lists.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a one-off. Across the system, rotas are being built using spreadsheets, outdated systems, and incomplete staffing data – leading to mismatched supply and demand, overworked teams, and missed opportunities to deliver care more efficiently.

Patchwork Health’s Job Planning product,  powered by the original L2P technology and co-designed with both clinicians and managers, addresses this head-on. Unlike other job planning systems, its handling of priority activities simplifies accurate rota planning, making it easier to flag capacity risks early and fill gaps at standard rates. The system reflects the realities of NHS working life – where wellbeing, working hours, and professional development are vital to protecting both workforce capacity and patient care.

Making space for what matters most

Matching capacity with demand isn’t just about filling shifts – it’s about making space for the work that matters most. In surgical departments, that might mean reducing usual activity during priority emergency duty cover. But to do that well, you need visibility over who’s available and when.

Good job planning means taking those full 52 weeks into account – even if you’re only working 42. It means forecasting leave, mapping cover, and giving teams a shared, trusted source of truth to build around.

The takeaway? Don’t let your data let you down

If you want job plans that actually work in practice (and don’t crumble under pressure), you need systems that can handle the complexity – and surface the most accurate information at the right time.

Good data isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’, it should be the foundation of all decisions an organisation makes.