Thursday 29 October 2026
Internal Reference Number: FOI_9658
Date Request Received: 23/09/2026 00:00:00
Date Request Replied To: 02/10/2026 00:00:00
This response was sent via: By Email
Request Summary: Non-clinical staff covering clinical roles
Request Category: Private Individuals
| Question Number 1: I am writing to request information regarding the use of non-clinical, administrative staff in operational or clinical roles on wards due to staffing shortages. For the purposes of this request: • "Non-clinical/administrative staff" refers to employees whose primary roles do not involve direct patient care or ward operations (e.g., finance, human resources, IT, corporate services, or general administration). • "Operational/clinical ward roles" refers to frontline duties including, but not limited to, portering, healthcare assistant (HCA) duties, cleaning/domestic duties, or patient movement. Please provide the following information for the last 24 months (up to the date of this request): Internal Communications Has the Trust issued any internal communications (e.g., mass emails, staff bulletins, intranet notices, or memos) requesting non-clinical/administrative staff to volunteer for, or cover, operational ward roles due to staff shortages? If yes, please provide copies of these communications. (Personal data such as names can be redacted). | |
| Answer To Question 1: Up to 29th September over the past 24 months, we have sent 38 broadcasts with requests for ward buddies. The role of a Ward Buddy is a voluntary activity for staff to undertake that is the same as that of a hospital volunteer | |
| Question Number 2: Policies and Guidance Has the Trust created or updated any policies, standard operating procedures, or emergency protocols in the last 24 months that formally outline the redeployment of non-clinical staff to operational ward roles (such as portering) during periods of high pressure or short staffing? If yes, please provide a copy of any all documents. | |
| Answer To Question 2: No policies held from an OD&P perspective | |
| Question Number 3: Recorded Instances Does the Trust hold a central record of shifts or hours where non-clinical/administrative staff were redeployed to cover operational ward roles (e.g., as porters or HCAs)? If yes, please provide the total number of shifts covered by non-clinical staff in operational ward roles over the last 24 months. Please break this data down by: • Month and Year • The non-clinical department the staff member normally works in (e.g., Finance, IT) • The operational role they were covering (e.g., Portering, HCA) | |
| Answer To Question 3: Information not held | |
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Our staff at Salisbury District Hospital have long been well regarded for the quality of care and treatment they provide for our patients and for their innovation, commitment and professionalism. This has been recognised in a wide range of achievements and it is reflected in our award of NHS Foundation Trust status. This is afforded to hospitals that provide the highest standards of care.
