Patchwork Rota: greater visibility & more control

Whether it’s booking a taxi or ordering a takeaway, quick, simple technology has been embedded within many industries for around a decade now. Yet, for an NHS clinician and their schedule, it can feel a little like time has stopped. Clunky systems with multiple logins, which are only accessible on a computer inside the hospital are the reality for clinicians in the NHS today. However, the tech is now here to support clinicians and managers as they navigate their day-to-day duties, we explore some of these features below. 

Problem

One of the main problems clinicians and managers face when it comes to rostering is a lack of visibility. Organisations are complex and have many people within them, all with their own crucial roles and responsibilities – so it can be quite difficult to ensure scheduling is being managed by the right people at the right time. This may be a clinician needing to see who they are working with or a manager having to broadcast a rostered shift to the staff bank, but a consistent theme with all of these examples is that they tend to be done on separate platforms and methods of communication, managing schedules this way means things can slip through the net, and people may not be aware of the information they need to do their jobs effectively. Individuals need to feel like they’re empowered at work – this is critical as retention and workplace satisfaction is at an all time low in the NHS and there are very simple improvements technology can provide to support the healthcare workers by giving the clinicians and managers wider visibility and ultimately more control.

Solution

Patchwork Rota has been built alongside those within the NHS, who understand where and how these problems materialise and where we can find solutions

Team views

Giving clinicians more oversight over their schedule is a great example of how Patchwork supports staff. 

The ‘team rota’ view is a simple feature that allows a clinician to see who they’re working with and which shifts their colleagues are working. By showing this clear rota overview, clinicians are no longer left in the dark over their upcoming schedule, making them feel less like they’re just a number in a system. They can see who is around to support them on shift, helping foster a strong relationship with colleagues and providing reassurance that they have any information they may need before a shift. 

This view can also help with shift swapping. Clinicians can now safely work together when it comes to swaps without needing to go through a central administrative team, speeding up the process and supporting the clinician in managing their own schedule – something many of them already do over Whatsapp or in person. By putting this all in one clear view, the visibility and general ease of use is significantly improved. 

Communication 

The importance of clear communication is a key aspect of Patchwork Rota’s foundation – and we know things get lost in the hoards of messages. Patchwork Rota have automated notifications that keep clinicians updated and alleviate some of the strain on managers who are having to juggle a multitude of responsibilities. Notifications are delivered directly to clinicians and managers on Patchwork Rota through automated messages, alleviating any communication being lost or misinterpreted. This is all handled within a single, cohesive system with a comprehensive audit trail that provides great oversight across every update on the system – empowering administrators to stay ahead of any potential disruptions or discrepancies. 

Conclusion

Patchwork encapsulates all of a manager’s day-to-day duties and has built-in features to support their workload capacity, enabling managers to take a step back and have wider oversight, empowering them in all of their decision making. With greater visibility for both clinicians and managers, we are moving in the right direction to achieving a transparent and effective rostering solution.