Mental health trust ‘to improve absence management’

A mental health trust has appointed a provider of workforce management solutions to help it improve absence management.

The Devon Partnership NHS Trust will also work with Smart to streamline the efficiency of staff utilisation and enhance the work-life balance of employees.

However, it could be said that a dedicated and efficient HR team could reach the same objectives.

Tristan Spencer, health market director at Smart, explained that a workforce is one of the most valued assets of a business, but also one of the greatest costs when providing healthcare services.

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"While it is vital that staff are deployed in the most effective manner to provide the best possible […] care, it is equally important to ensure that […] staff are looked after as well as possible to keep morale high," he added.

In related news, the government this week revealed plans to help people with mental health conditions hold on to or find work, including providing a network of mental health coordinators in every Jobcentre Plus district.