AI helping NHS staff be more skilled and flexible
An app using AI with behavioural science has been successfully piloted at Essex hospitals and is now set to be expanded across the NHS.
Called ShiftPartner, it’s now being supported by the NHS Innovation Accelerator (NIA) to improve patient care and help staff.
First used at Southend and Broomfield hospitals, it works with electronic rostering systems to give managers a clear overview of the skills, work schedules and training needs of their staff.
Its CEO and founder is Dr Dilshan Arawwawala, Consultant and Chief Clinical Information Officer at the Trust. He said: “Using cutting-edge AI and behavioural analysis, ShiftPartner helps match the right people to the right shifts at the right time, unlocking potential within the workforce, allowing organisations to use, develop and retain talent more effectively. It also helps improve care for patients by building a more flexible, skilled and engaged workforce.
“We are proud to have been selected for the NIA, which means the NHS and the Department of Health and Social Care can see the practicalities of this software and the efficiencies it will bring.”
The platform supports staff by making it easier to swap shifts, find learning opportunities and improve work-life balance. Smarter staff planning helps reduce costs, boost retention and build stronger teams.
It’s been made possible thanks to NHS Innovation Fellowship funding at the Trust, where a pilot was developed with operating theatres teams. ShiftPartner has already received overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff using it, who praised its ease of use, efficiency and transparency.
Dr Arawwawala joined the first ever cohort of the Trust’s Innovation Fellowship (2018-19) to progress with and further develop the app.
Selina Dundas, Chief People Officer for the Trust, said: “Encouraging our people to innovate helps us grow as an organisation and find smarter ways to support our workforce. ShiftPartner’s AI-driven approach is already making a difference by improving workforce planning, reducing reliance on bank staff and helping retain staff by offering opportunities to gain new skills and work across different departments.”