(VOCM News)
The core staffing review at Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services has found that simply increasing the number of staff won’t cut it in terms of improving the overall system.
The review, conducted by Deloitte, was released Monday afternoon.
It concludes that while “targeted” staff increases will be required in select areas, sustainable improvement “will not be achieved through headcount increases alone.”
Ultimately, the report says that will happen through “redesigning how care is delivered and how the workforce is deployed and supported.”
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The report identifies unlocking capacity within the existing workforce through “better support, more efficient processes, and precision staffing approaches” as a main priority.
Some of the changes it recommends include enabling team-based care models, aligning roles to full scope of practice, reducing non-nursing workloads, strengthening education and onboarding capacity, and addressing “systemic barriers” like patient flow and “inconsistent” tools and supports.
In terms of staffing increases, the report identified personal care attendants and those who work in high acuity areas.