A review of nursing skill-mix to optimise care in an acute trust

The main resource of the NHS is its workforce. However, achieving the correct mix of staff is crucial if it is to provide high-quality patient care in a cost-effective manner. When an acute trust was singled out in an independent analysis as having 'too rich' a skill-mix (compared with the rest of the strategic health authority), an internal review was undertaken to determine the ratio of qualified to unqualified nursing staff, and to compare these with acuity and dependency in each clinical area. The information was used to revise the nursing skill-mix within the trust.