Multidisciplinary team shortlisted as finalists for prestigious Public Finance Award

The SLE initiative by the multidisciplinary team, which consisted of NWSSP Finance, People and Organisational Development, Payroll, Project Management Office and Health Board stakeholders has enabled the payment of locum shifts worked anywhere across Wales to all SLE junior doctor and dentist staff utilising one assignment and payroll record whilst preserving accurate local organisation cost coding and financial control. 

The digital solution identified has enabled this model to operate and provide financial and operational benefits that would not have been possible with a manual process. The implementation of the SLE model across NHS Wales has enabled further expansion to the payment of locum shifts during 2021/22.  Prior to the SLE implementation trainees would be enrolled in one Health Board for their substantive training post and if they wished to work locum shifts in any other Health Boards they would then have to enrol again on their payrolls. 

This led to duplication of data/effort and multiple payslips for trainees often causing tax code issues, confusion, and frustration.  An innovative finance/payroll coding structure was designed as part of the SLE expansion to enable automated payroll feeds to be issued to Health Boards detailing local cost codes and pay information whilst trainees were employed centrally via NWSSP. 

Further use of the coding structure has been implemented which enables trainees to work shifts in any Health Board or Trust across NHS Wales and across a range of specialties and for these all to be paid in the one monthly payslip.  Health Boards/Trusts continue to receive an automated payroll feed to upload to the ledger which details all the shifts worked and accurately codes these to the department/ward where the locum shift was worked.

Stakeholder feedback from trainee representatives has been extremely positive and requests from trainees in non-participating Health Boards for this model are being considered for implementation.

With plans for five of the seven potential organisations to fully operate the automated locum shift payment model by mid-2022, the aim to ensure all NHS Wales organisations participate by the end of 2022.

Held annually, the Public Finance Awards recognise the people, products and services that demonstrate excellence and originality within public finance with the winners announced at the formal awards ceremony which will be held on 29 November.