Minutes:
Minute 10 – Regional Payroll Contract Update
The Chair read the following statement relating to payroll services to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: -
“Since the beginning of the new payroll contract in April this year, we have been working with Capita, the provider, to overcome problems experienced.
Problems had included processing errors and inadequate call centre response to the volume of calls received and communications issues. In April, there were somewhere in the region of 4000 staff with payroll queries. That represents about 33% of our workforce.
In recognition of the importance of the issue, we have worked intensively with Capita, including holding multiple weekly teleconferences, one of which is attended by our Chief Executive and their Managing Director. We are working closely with them to ensure that improvement plans will be robust for the future and cover all aspects of service.
Through this work, there is now a significant reduction in the number of queries received at each payroll and the number continues to reduce. Just prior to the August monthly payroll, approximately 6% of staff had outstanding queries. So there has been significant improvement. This is still an unacceptable level however and there is still some way to go to reach a ‘normal’ payroll level of queries that is about 2-3%of staff.
The response time to queries arising is again improving, but we are continuing to work with Capita to address this issue with a view to expected turn around standards being achieved on most queries within the near future.
While working constructively with Capita, we continue to monitor the contract performance closely.
We are aware that there are a number of staff who remain frustrated with the length of time taken to resolve some of their queries and we are working in detail through these with Capita. We apologise, together with Capita, for these remaining frustrations, but assure staff that we continue to work intensively to resolve any outstanding issues.”
Members noted the content of the statement but expressed the view that in their opinion 2-3% of payroll queries was still felt to be too high.
Minute 9 – Healthcare Acquired Infection at University Hospitals Leicester
Pauline Tagg, Acting Chief Executive, UHL Trust, stated that UHL had secured £1.1m to purchase patient bedside equipment that had proved to be very timely, as new Government guidelines suggest that hospital patients should have their own equipment, and not share. More bed space was being created in hospitals and some areas were being converted into store areas to house linen trolleys and other large equipment.
Regarding the uniform policy in Leicester, staff were encouraged to not wear uniform to and from hospital, although some staff had to. There was no evidence to support the notion of germs/infection being transferred via uniforms. It was suggested that staff could wear their uniform under a full length coat and then go straight to work and straight home again. Hand hygiene was however important and staff used a 6-stage process before starting work. Members were informed that the number of infections in hospital were still reducing month on month with c-diff cases reduced by 65% during 2007, from 130-140 cases per month to 30-40 cases per month. MRSA cases were also down to 2-3 per month and the government targets would be met by 2008.