Being able to offer continuity of care when your staff are on leave or ill can be a challenge. But it is important in a healthcare setting and something we can help you achieve.
What is continuity of care?
As care providers, we should be aiming to ensure the care a person receives is consistent and well-coordinated, and that any necessary changes are carried out smoothly and seamlessly.
“Continuity of staff is so beneficial in helping the person achieve the outcomes they’ve identified as important to them in their care and support needs assessment,” explains Juliette Millard, a registered nurse and our Head of Clinical Governance.
“The 2019 NICE Quality standard stresses how continuity of care is positively enhanced by care workers knowing the person they are supporting well, including knowing their preferences and needs.”
When people are cared for by the same staff members, they can build relationships which result in trust and confidence. Frequent changes in staff can have the opposite effect, causing some residents or patients to feel unsettled and frustrated.
It’s imperative people feel that those caring for them know and understand their circumstances, especially if their needs and requirements have changed over time.
People who receive this type of care usually have better outcomes and higher satisfaction rates.
How can Newcross help with healthcare staff continuity?
As a care provider, there will always be a time when you need to cover a shift with temporary staff. We understand the importance of providing you with qualified and informed staff who can fit right into the way your organisation works. With more than 20,000 nurses and carers in our network, you can be assured there will be someone who meets your requirements whenever you need.
Our systems are set up to help you achieve continuity in your setting. Through our new booking app you can create shifts in seconds and rebook the same healthcare worker, securing that same member of staff to help with gaps in your rota.
It works for Daniel Harrison, Deputy Manager at Accomplish Group: “The staff we have from Newcross are always professional, competent and a pleasure to work with. We tend to use the same members of staff so they are familiar with the people we support, our staff and how we run the home – which works great.”
You can also ask our healthcare workers to add your organisation as a ‘favourite’ on their HealthForceGo app, which means they can instantly see when you post a shift. Soon you’ll also be able to add ‘favourite’ healthcare workers to your app, so you can easily find them and check their availability when you have a shift to fill.
“We have a regular agency staff member from Newcross called Ade, who has been christened Garden by one of our individuals and we now all call him this. He is a great staff member and has a good rapport with all our individuals and staff as well. Ade does a lot of shifts for us and is classed as a member of our team now,” Alison Hesmondhalgh from the Wilf Ward Family Trust says.
Knowing that members of our own healthcare community integrate so well into the teams they join is truly inspiring and integral when it comes to staff continuity.
Why is staff continuity important?
Staff continuity also promotes person-centred care as those working with an individual have an ongoing relationship with them and know how that person likes to receive support. This has a positive impact on their wellbeing and quality of life, particularly for older people who may experience loneliness or isolation.
Having greater continuity of care from staff will help support scores in the Think Local, Act Personal’s Personal Outcomes Evaluation Tool (POET) for adults in receipt of social care. The tool includes a question on the impact of support on a person’s quality of life and local data collection such as surveys on the experience of people using adult social care services. This provides positive evidence to regulators on the quality and continuity of care.
For more information, take a look at our client app page.
