More than nine in ten say they spend time each week dealing with inefficient or duplicated processes (92%) and IT system issues (92%).
Erika Bannerman, managing director of NHS SBS, said: ‘NHS staff are navigating significant change while continuing to deliver for patients every day. This research highlights the opportunity to reduce administrative burden and provide people with better tools, simpler processes and more joined-up systems.
‘By freeing up valuable time, we can support not only better patient care and service improvement, but also greater investment in training, skills and workforce development. At a time when the NHS is transforming, giving people the capacity to learn, grow and adapt will be just as important as the technology itself in building a stronger, more sustainable health service for the future.'
NHS staff spend approximately 430m hours a year on admin, equivalent to around 220,000 full-time staff roles.
Almost nine in ten (87%) said admin had at least one negative impact on them or their work. Around half (51%) said it increased stress or burnout. A third (34%) said it meant less time with patients or service users, while three in ten (30%) said it led to staying late or working longer than contracted hours and a quarter (25%) said it delayed decision-making.
Two thirds (67%) identified more joined-up operational systems and processes across NHS teams and organisations as a practical change to make a difference. More than half (56%) said standardisation of processes and systems across NHS services would help. Another 45% highlighted more reliable operational systems and 26% said greater automation of routine administrative tasks.
When asked what they would do with time given back by better systems, 29% said they would spend it on their core role or professional responsibilities. A further 22% said they would spend it with patients or service users and 16% said they would use it to improve services or reduce backlogs. Two-thirds of staff said they would reinvest that time into their core role, patients or service improvement.
The report is available to download here: https://www.sbs.nhs.uk/futureproofing-the-nhs/
