Rota Monitoring for Templates
NHSGGC is committed to providing New Deal compliant and educationally sound working pattern for all resident doctors on training rotas. Therefore, a robust monitoring arrangement was put in place to ensure that rota templates are compliant, and to highlight issues that may lead to non-compliance. The purpose of monitoring is to ensure that the rota working pattern that has been approved by the department, compliance teams, NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Government is fit for purpose; that the rota is suitable for the work you are doing.
Resident doctor rota monitoring will take place every 6 months, over a 2 week period. All training grade staff are expected to record hours of work and rest accurately by completing a set of electronic monitoring forms, and the opening page of the electronic system for monitoring has a validation statement you will electronically sign to this effect. All completed documentation is returned to your Monitoring Officer for analysis in accordance with New Deal and WTR regulations. Once rota monitoring for your template is complete, you will receive a copy of the results within the time limits laid out.
Guidance on completing the DRS online diary can be found here
Under no circumstances during resident doctor rota monitoring, should staff falsely inflate or decrease the record of hours or rest or be requested to do so. If you are put under any pressure to amend your monitoring information, please contact Medical Staffing.
Resident Doctor Rota Monitoring Officers
Lynne Sutherland – Senior Monitoring Officer
Areas of responsibility
- Emergency Care North, South & Clyde
- Medical Services North & South
- Geriatric Medicine North & South
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Sandyford
- South Stroke
- North & South Adult Cardiology
Andy Trench – Monitoring Officer
Areas of responsibility
- General Surgery North and South inc Surgical Specialities
- Anaesthetics North, South & Clyde
- Neonatology
- RHC & RAH Paediatric Medicine
- LTFT Applications Administrator
- WordPress Editor – HR Connect Web Content
Albert Chilambwe – Monitoring Officer
Areas of responsibility
- Clyde palliative medicine
- Diagnostics
- Regional inc INS
- Oral Health
- Paediatric Services for; Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Cardiology, PICU,
- Haematology Oncology and Anaesthetics
Claire Mortimer – Monitoring Officer
Areas of responsibility
- Clyde General Surgery
- Clyde General/Geriatric Medicine
- Clyde Orthopaedics & Urology
- Mental Health North & South
- Public Health
- Occupational Health
- General Practice FY2s
Rota Templates
Our rota templates must comply with two sets of regulations
- New Deal: is a package of measures designed to improve the conditions under which doctors in training worked. It provides guidance on hours of work, living and working conditions for all doctors in training
- Working Time Regulations (WTR): is a directive from the Council of Europe enshrined in UK law in 1998, to protect the Health and Safety of workers by setting minimum requirements for working hours, rest periods and leave
NHSGGC are responsible for ensuring that resident medical staff can work in compliance with New Deal and WTR requirements. Non-compliance could result in financial penalty to the NHS board in which you are working, and a possible loss of training posts for that department
The 3 main types of working templates are detailed below:
Full Shift Rota (most resident doctors work on this pattern)
- Work carried out is intensive and continuous throughout the 24-hour period.
- Shifts do not exceed 14hours.
- A minimum of 8 hours of rest between shifts is required.
- Natural breaks are required (at least 30 minutes of continuous rest after 4 hours of continuous working).
On Call Rota
- Work is considered to be low intensity, particularly during OOH.
- Normal working pattern exists Monday-Friday for all trainees on the rota, and then an on-call person takes over to cover the remainder of each 24hour period.
- Frequency of on call cover depends on the number of trainees on the rota.
- Duty periods cannot exceed 32 hours on weekdays, or 56 hours at the weekend.
- At least 12 hours of rest between duty periods is required.
- Doctors are expected to spend half of their on call duty period undisturbed, of which a minimum of 5 hours is continuous rest between 10pm and 8am.
Partial Shift & 24hr Partial Shift Rota
- Work is considered to be higher intensity than on call, but less so than shift working.
- Duty periods do not exceed 16hours or 24hours depending.
- Natural breaks are required during normal working hours, and at least ¼ of the out-of-hours duty period should be spent undisturbed.
There are no strict rules about the total hours worked in any week, but average weekly hours must be under 48 over a 26-week reference period (for full time working).
Doctors in training must follow a rota template which has been approved. The rota is agreed, prior to being put in place, by the department in which it will be implemented, the compliance team at the NHS board (for New Deal and WTR) and is reviewed by the Scottish Government. Changes in your working pattern (e.g. swapping a shift) could result in non-compliance (for example, insufficient rest period after a run of nightshifts). Therefore, any changes must be discussed in advance with the rota master to ensure that they will not lead to problems.
Details of frequently asked questions for the occupational health service.
I do not feel well, can I still attend for my vaccination?
Yes if you just have a mild infection e.g. a cold. Please do not attend if you feel very unwell, have a temperature or are being treated with any antibiotics. To change or cancel an appointment, please contact Occupational Health on 0141 201 0600.
What do I do if I have had a needlestick or similar injury?
You should carry out first aid immediately and report the injury to whoever is in charge of your clinical area. Further guidance is available at our Needlestick & Similar Injury page. All incidents should be reported to Occupational Health as soon as possible after they occur on 0141 201 0595.
Can I self-refer to Occupational Health?
Yes, you can self-refer for a number of services including advice, physiotherapy, counselling and the alcohol & substance nurse clinic.
Go to our Self-Referral & Counselling page for further information on what is available & how to arrange an appointment. Please note we do not provide written reports back to managers from these appointments.
Are counselling services available to employees?
Yes all employees can access free & confidential counselling from fully trained counsellors via the Occupational Health Service.
To make an appointment call, 0141 201 0600.
Can I get physiotherapy?
There is an Occupational Health Physiotherapy service which employees can access by completing a self-referral form.
Priority will be given to those employees who are absent from work, those who have suffered a musculoskeletal injury whilst at work and those who are about to go off work. Further details on this service can be found on our Occupational Health Physiotherapy Service page.
What are Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP)?
Exposure Prone Procedures (EPP) include procedures where the health workers’ gloved hand may be in contact with sharp instruments, needle tips or sharp tissues inside a patients body cavity, wound or confined anatomical space where the hands or fingertips may be not be completely visible at all times. Taking bloods and inserting cannula’s are not EPP procedures
I have been referred by my manager, what does this involve?
Information on management referrals and what happens at these appointments can be found at our Management Referral site or by accessing our Management Referral Leaflet.
How can I get a copy of my immunisation records?
You need to request this in writing, please send a letter with your full name, Date of Birth, Address and signature to: Occupational Health Service, 6th Floor, West Glasgow ACH, Dalnair Street, Glasgow, G3 8SJ
Workplace Adjustment Passport
The Workplace Adjustment Passport to support to support employees with a disability, health condition or diversity in the workplace to have, and continue to have, a great experience at work has been launched.
With the help of the Passport, we can bring about progress in a collaborative and supportive manner.
Can Occupational Health fast track any treatment I require?
The Occupational Health Service is unable to fast track any NHS referral or fund any private referrals.
I think I need a car parking permit due to health reasons, how do I apply for one?
At present, the car parking permit on health grounds policy is under review and the Occupational Health Service is only able to issue supportive letters for permits on a 4 month basis. You need to complete an application form. Please contact the nursing team on 0141 201 0600 for further advice.
I don’t think I can attend my appointment, what do I do?
Please contact our appointments line on 0141 201 0600 to make, change or cancel an appointment
Our winter flu vaccination programme for staff will be starting again soon!
Look out for info coming out through Core Brief.
As a healthcare employer who provides high quality patient care we need to ensure that those who provide that care are fit and well, and part of that means looking after our skin.
Work related skin problems are common within the health and social care sector as employees have to carry out hand hygiene on a frequent basis and their skin can also regularly be exposed to chemicals or other materials used in the manufacture of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde cannot eliminate all known risks to staff skin health, therefore it is essential that measures are implemented to detect any health problem that might arise through an effective skin health surveillance programme, this allows for preventative action to be taken in order to safeguard the health of the employee.
Skin health surveillance will also review existing risk assessments and control measures and provide assurance that workplace controls are adequate.
If you require any advice regarding Skin Health Surveillance, please contact Occupational Health on 0141 201 0594.
Skin Health Surveillance process
- Dry/red skin – We recommend that managers try the steps outlined in our skincare information sheet and the Hand Dermatitis Guide from National Education Scotland in the first instance however, if your staff member’s skin does not improve following this then please submit a skin health surveillance questionnaire to Occupational Health. this should be sent to occhealth@ggc.scot.nhs.uk Please provide details of any steps you have taken in the workplace e.g. increased use of moisturisers. Please do not submit a management referral.
If your staff member has broken, cracked or bleeding skin – We recommend that you submit a skin health surveillance questionnaire and an attend anywhere consultation will be arranged.
Irritation from FRSM/Surgical Masks
Please do not submit a management referral form if a staff member is experiencing irritation from wearing a surgical or FRSM mask.
If the irritation continues please contact the nursing team on 0141 201 0594 and complete a skin health surveillance questionnaire.
LearnPro Training
The Learnpro modules “Managing Skin Care at Work for Managers” and “Managing Skin Care at Work for Responsible Persons” can be found within the CPD section.
The NES module Hand Hygiene is part of The Scottish Infection Prevention & Control Education Pathway Foundation level and this can also be accessed via Learnpro.
Resources
- The Long COVID Service has now closed to new referrals.
- There are however a number of online resources that can still be accessed.
Information for Managers
Long COVID involves a continuation of a broad range of debilitating physical, cognitive, and
psychological symptoms that persists beyond 12 weeks. Initial “Mild” symptoms are not reflective of
long term outcomes for many. For many people, it will be a combination of physical and
psychological symptoms; and an exacerbation of pre-existing symptoms may further complicate
their presentation.
Possible features of Long COVID in the workplace
- Difficulty in standing for long periods, or in sustaining normal work due to fatigue
- Reduced ability with physical tasks, e.g. lifting or walking longer distances
- Increased breathlessness with activity which can lead to poor tolerance with wearing face masks.
- Trouble concentrating with tasks, takes longer to complete tasks and employee may worry about making mistakes.
- Need for more frequent trips to toilet, more frequent rest breaks for recovery of energy.
- Attempt by staff to “push on” and “overcome” despite increasing symptoms can result in further absence periods i.e. Sick leave, following by return, followed by relapse and further leave.
Example of recommendations for a staff member returning to work following an extended COVID absence
- The individual plan should be tailored to each staff member based on the severity of symptoms and their role / tasks at work.
- Phased return to work with shorter days and non-consecutive days initially. Due to the nature of fatigue the staff member may require an extended phased return more than the standard 4 weeks – may require up to 8 or 12 weeks. Advising starting with 1 short shift (may be as short as 3-4 hours) then gradually building up the amount of shifts per week before considering increasing the shift length for a more gentle phased return as this complements the fatigue management advice. It may be that the staff member is not always able to increase their hours in a linear way – may be that on some weeks they have a flare in their symptoms and any planned increases are paused or take a step back to a previous level which they were coping with. The staff member should be able to determine this based on their symptoms by that stage and liaise with their manager when further support required.
- Consider some temporary adjustment to workload, opportunity to work alongside a colleague for the first few weeks for support if needed / supernumerary. Explore options for additional support/assistance with the more physical aspects of the role e.g. working with lower risk individuals.
- Consideration of temporary alternative work if they are unable to resume to the more physical aspects of the role e.g. Learn pro / non clinical work (this may be helpful or it may be that based on what impacts on their symptoms, it is unhelpful or not required).Some people may need to limit the amount of time doing physical or PC tasks depending on symptoms
- Keep shift patterns routine e.g. same start time each day and avoiding mix of early / late /night shifts until they have managed to build up their hours and duties.
- There may also be role specific adjustments such as; being kept on own ward / smaller geographical area, not being responsible for emergency page, reducing clinical caseload initial supervision for clinical decision making (e.g. drug rounds), avoiding interruptions through day and avoiding on-call / nights etc.
Resources
Online Support & Resources
Long COVID involves a continuation of a broad range of debilitating physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms that persists beyond 12 weeks. The National Wellbeing Hub has developed some resources to assist those coping with the
prolonged aftereffects of COVID. This is aimed at supporting people working in health and social care with living with the uncertainty that this condition can bring and their anxieties about returning to work.
These include two evidence-informed articles, one aimed at managers providing advice on how to support staff returning to work with Long COVID, and one aimed at people experiencing Long COVID These are supplemented by a Top Tip sheet with
brief guidance for managing recovery from Long COVID.
In addition to the written materials, they’ve produced a series of three short videos. For these, they’ve spoken to two professionals who have both experienced Long COVID. In one, we hear about Janine’s path to recovery, while the other
charts Grace’s return to work and how she is managing the ongoing challenges associated with this.
They’ve also spoken to Dr John Harden, Deputy National Clinical Director at the Scottish Government, who talks through what Long COVID is, what to do if you’re experiencing Long COVID, and how to manage some of the more common symptoms.
- NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde – Covid Care Booklet
- NHS Inform – Longer Term Effects ( Long Covid) Links to further information on fatigue, breathlessness, cough, pain, sleep, mood, anxiety, and return to work as well as Chest heart and stroke advice line.
- Your Covid Recovery Sections on: Breathlessness, fatigue, headache, mood, memory & concentration, palpitations, Musculoskeletal issues, voice and swallowing and chest pain.
- Recovering from Covid 10: Post Viral Fatigue & Conserving Energy How to conserve your energy, practical advice for people during and after Covid 19
- NHS Inform Self Help Guides on line tools and PDF’s self- help guides that can be down loaded on various Mental Health & Wellbeing topics including: Sleep problems, anxiety, depression, problem solving, chronic pain, PTSD, bereavement and self esteem.
- Mental Health & Wellbeing Audio Guides on line tools and audio guides on various topics including – low mood, anxiety, sleep problems, self-confidence, unhelpful thinking and breathing exercises for stress.
Peer Support Groups
Resources
All NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde employees can self-refer to the Occupational Health Service to access a wide range of support services. For further information on what’s available, please select from the options below.
Self Referral
All employees can self-refer to Occupational Health for confidential advice & support with one of the nursing team. Appointments are available by telephone only currently. All appointments are confidential.
Please call 0141 201 0600 to make an appointment or alternatively you may find the information you are looking for on HR Connect.
Counselling
Counselling services are available to all NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde employees within the Occupational Health Department at the West Glasgow ACH. All appointments are confidential.
Please contact 0141 277 7623 to arrange an appointment with one of the counselling team.
Where possible we ask you to consider making use of on-line resources or accessing alternative community supports. Links to a range of resources are available below. If you are experiencing a crisis please contact your GP or out of hours services
The Occupational Health Psychological Therapies Service (OHPTS)
This service is available to staff who wish to access psychological support. The service provides:
- Psychological first aid
- 30 minute telephone or ‘Attend Anywhere’ video sessions
- Sessions are delivered by a member of the Occupational Health Psychological Therapies Service (OHPTS)
To access call 0141 277 7623, Monday to Friday, 8.00am – 5.00pm
Please note this service will not be able to provide an immediate response. If you need immediate support with your mental health please contact a trusted member of your community such as your GP, or NHS 24 on 111 or if you are in imminent danger please dial 999.
Additional Supports and Resources
Mental Health & Wellbeing is just as important as physical health and many factors and life events can have an impact on how we feel. This hub provides links to further information and services available that can help you to improve your mental health & wellbeing.
If you are feeling very distressed, require emotional support or are suicidal then there are organisations who can help.
To speak in confidence to one of the Mental Health Occupational Health team or to arrange a counselling appointment, please phone 0141 277 7623. This line also operates an answer machine service if required.
Further Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources
