New app helps healthcare providers manage agency shifts
Successful trial of Agency Manager app from Florence helps to optimise time and reduce agency spend
A survey of 37 UK care home managers conducted in March this year showed that care providers currently spend an average of 45 hours a month – or more than one 8-hour working day per week – filling some 27 shifts in their staffing rotas using agencies. For each shift needed, they contact at least two agencies at a time. This can be time consuming and stressful.
Image courtesy of Florence
What’s more, providers consulted in the survey also said that it could be difficult to compare the prices of different agencies. Sometimes there are hidden costs, such as for staff travel or employer’s National Insurance contributions. Agencies may have different invoicing schedules and their staff may have different compliance standards.
Tech company Florence is seeking to address these challenges with its new Agency Manager app, which has just completed a successful trial period and is now open to registration for new healthcare providers.
The Agency Manager app matches qualified candidates to open shifts instantly, removing the need to manually contact multiple agencies. Florence’s own compliance team verifies the credentials of each agency that supplies candidates to ensure that only qualified and legally compliant staff can be hired.
One unique feature compared to other healthcare agency vendors is the ‘favourites’ button, so that providers can invite back the same staff where they’ve proved their worth, increasing continuity of care for service users.
Managing bookings in this way, through a single portal, enabled much more straightforward, upfront price comparisons and budget management, even when catering for last-minute needs. The app also integrates everything to do with timesheets and invoicing, removing the hassle of dealing with multiple invoices.
Dan Blake, COO and Co-Founder of Florence, says: ‘Our Agency Manager platform has been meticulously designed with input from key customers, ensuring it truly delivers on filling shifts with the right people fast. We’re eager to support care providers and panel agencies, enhancing the overall care experience. Our journey with Florence is defined by our growth alongside our customers: initially, care providers needed help with shift filling, and we answered that call. Now, their needs have evolved, and with our award-winning technology we’re ready to meet these new demands.’
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