Safe and effective staffing

Patient safety during periods of continuing healthcare system pressure and reduced workforce capacity is critical to the work of healthcare.

Our range of learning resources and toolkits can help you deliver safe care for patients.


Optimising capacity in health systems under pressure

This toolkit has been designed to help health boards manage patient safety in an increasingly pressurised environment. It will help reduce risk and increase safety while avoiding harm.

Optimising capacity in health systems under pressure toolkit

We hosted a series of winter webinars to support healthcare professions through times of pressure:

Maintaining safe and effective staffing learning system

This learning system has been developed to support health and care staff who are involved with workforce planning. It will allow them to feel enabled and psychologically safe to make decisions, and manage the risks associated with reduced staffing capacity.

The learning system is built around the key themes of the Quality Management System Framework: 

Quality management system framework – safe and effective staffing: December 2021 (PDF, 725K)

This system promotes a co-ordinated and consistent approach to managing the quality and effectiveness of staffing in health and care services.

You can also share knowledge and resources online through our Microsoft Teams channel. This secure space contains a suite of useful learning resources.

Access the learning system

You can find more support on our archive website.

Further reading

Essentials of safe care