Implementation of SafeCare Implementation of SafeCare to Enhance the Safe Staffing Framework at SFHFT
Summary
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust improved workforce capability by implementing SafeCare across 45 clinical areas over three hospital sites. Supported by dedicated clinical leadership, the programme gave nursing teams real-time visibility of staffing levels and patient acuity, enabling faster redeployment and safer staffing decisions. Frontline staff helped co-design workflows and received training, which supported strong adoption in daily practice.
The rollout delivered measurable improvements in compliance, reduced unresolved safety concerns and increased staff confidence in workforce management. Overall, the programme demonstrates how real-time workforce visibility and clinically led digital implementation can strengthen patient safety, workforce resilience and staff confidence at scale.
The Challenge
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust faced growing workforce pressures across multiple hospital sites, making it increasingly difficult to maintain safe staffing, high-quality care and operational efficiency. Before implementing SafeCare, the Trust lacked consistent real-time visibility of staffing levels aligned to patient acuity, which limited its ability to respond quickly to changes in demand.
This made redeployment more difficult, reduced confidence in staffing decisions and created challenges in meeting safe staffing standards. Delayed escalation and inconsistent resolution of staffing concerns meant that safety risks could remain unresolved for too long, affecting both patient safety and staff wellbeing. In addition, limited staff engagement in mitigation processes and the absence of a coordinated redeployment approach reduced opportunities for shared support across teams.
The Trust needed a robust, data-driven solution to improve visibility, strengthen workforce governance and support safer, more responsive decision-making.
The Solution
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust implemented a structured, collaborative rollout of SafeCare to improve safe staffing and workforce visibility across three hospital sites. Executive support was secured early through a strong business case, and a dedicated lead oversaw delivery to maintain momentum and stakeholder engagement. The programme began with phased pilots across 45 inpatient wards, with each area receiving a tailored setup to reflect local workflows. Frontline staff helped co-design processes, establish a shared acuity language using SNCT, and shape how SafeCare would support daily decision-making. Training included introductory sessions, practical workshops, user guides and preceptorship integration for newly qualified nurses. New ways of working were embedded through live monitoring of staffing and acuity, red flag escalation and real-time redeployment tracking. This collaborative approach helped build ownership, strengthen workforce governance and support a culture of transparency, accountability and patient safety.
Results & Next Steps
The implementation of SafeCare at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has delivered significant and measurable improvements in patient safety, workforce wellbeing, and operational efficiency. The introduction of real-time staffing and acuity visibility has enabled safer, faster decision-making and strengthened compliance with safe staffing standards, with Medicine and Surgery now consistently achieving over 90% compliance. Women & Children’s services saw a dramatic rise in compliance from 48.7% to 79% within three months, while unresolved safety “red flags” reduced substantially across multiple wards, including one ward reducing from eight open red flags to zero.
SafeCare has empowered nursing staff at every grade to raise concerns instantly, supporting professional judgement, transparency, and confidence in staffing decisions. The system has also improved workforce agility through dynamic redeployment of Trust staff, reducing reliance on agency workers and improving continuity of care.
Recognised nationally by RLDatix as an exemplar site, the programme has created a more connected, resilient, and responsive workforce, embedding a culture of continuous improvement and safer, higher-quality patient care across the Trust.
