eRostering: the NHS standards, explained for care homes and GP practices
What the NHS e-rostering standards ask for, the five levels of attainment, and how a care home or GP practice can use them without a trust's budget.
In June 2019, NHS Improvement published E-rostering the clinical workforce: levels of attainment and meaningful use standards. It sets out, in plain terms, what an organisation has to do before it can say its rostering is genuinely electronic rather than a spreadsheet with a login.
It was written for NHS trusts. Lord Carter's reviews of NHS productivity had recommended that every NHS provider use e-rostering for all clinical staff groups, and the NHS Long Term Plan committed to supporting trusts to deploy electronic rosters. A survey in July 2018 found 43% of trusts at the lowest level, Level 0, and only 59% of the clinical workforce deployed through an e-rostering system.
Care homes and GP practices are not bound by it. But it is the most concrete public description of good rostering in UK health and care, and most of it translates directly to a smaller provider.
What eRostering actually means
eRostering, or e-rostering, is planning shifts in software that knows your rules. The rota records contracted hours, leave and training, checks who is eligible for which duty as shifts are assigned, lets staff see their rota and request changes from a phone, and links the planned shifts to the hours actually worked and the payroll that follows.
A spreadsheet can hold a rota. It cannot tell you that a nurse's medication training expires next Tuesday, that a shift has no one eligible on it, or that the hours paid last month do not match the hours worked.
The five levels of attainment
The standards are cumulative: every standard at one level has to be met before the next level counts.
| Level | Name | In short |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | No attainment | Fewer than 90% of staff on dedicated e-rostering software. Rotas may exist in Excel or on paper. |
| 1 | Visibility of the individual | Software in place, paperless pay, all contracted hours recorded, a written rostering policy, and at least 90% of staff on the system. |
| 2 | Timetabling | Staff reach the rota remotely to request leave and swaps, rotas are generated automatically, published at least six weeks ahead, and unfilled shifts are reviewed regularly. |
| 3 | Capacity and demand | Demand is analysed at least every six months and rotas are built to match it, with productivity measures reported. |
| 4 | Organisational e-rostering | Board-level accountability, audit at least quarterly, and rotas, budgets and objectives aligned. |
The standards that matter most for a smaller provider
Levels 1 and 2 are where a care home or practice gets most of the value. The specific expectations are worth reading in full, because several of them are numbers rather than aspirations:
- At least 90% of staff on the system, and fewer than 10% still rostered in spreadsheets or on paper.
- Rostering and payroll reconcile automatically, so enhanced hours are paid correctly without paper timesheets.
- All contracted hours, leave, training and other unavailability recorded on the roster.
- Rules applied to the roster so it stays within contractual and safe working hours, with the right skill mix on each shift.
- Staff can view their rota, request leave and request swaps from a phone, tablet or computer.
- The final rota published at least six weeks before it starts, and ideally twelve.
- Unfilled shifts reviewed at least weekly, available staff reviewed daily, and a clear route for escalating to bank or agency cover.
- Planned hours compared with delivered hours, with a target variance of under 13 hours per whole-time equivalent across a roster period.
One detail is easy to miss. The standards recommend that overtime is not rostered routinely, because regular overtime feeds into the calculation of holiday pay. That is as true in a care home as in a hospital, and it connects rostering directly to the holiday pay rules.
What does not translate
Levels 3 and 4 assume executive governance groups, finance and HR reviewing services together every quarter, and board reporting. A 40-bed home or a 12-person practice does not need that machinery.
The principle still holds at any size. Look at demand at least twice a year, compare it with the rota template you actually use, and change the template rather than filling the same gap with overtime every week.
A practical checklist
- Is every member of staff on the rota system, including bank and part-time staff?
- Can the rota tell you who is eligible for a shift, and whose training is about to expire, before you publish?
- Do leave requests and shift swaps go through the system with an approval, rather than by text?
- How far ahead is the rota final, and how often are open shifts reviewed?
- Do the hours paid come from the hours worked, or from the rota as planned?
- Could you show an inspector who worked, when, and who approved each change?
Where ClockedInOne fits
ClockedInOne eRostering covers the Level 1 and Level 2 expectations for smaller providers: eligibility and certification checks as you build, leave on the same grid, swaps and leave requests in the mobile app with approval, open shifts flagged before publication, and payroll calculated from attendance-linked hours.
NHS Trusts that roster in RLDatix Optima can keep doing so. ClockedInOne feeds verified attendance into Optima through the RLDatix Optima integration.
To follow the conversation, join the eRostering Latest News & Insights group on LinkedIn, where rostering leads from trusts, care providers and practices share what is working.
Source: NHS England and NHS Improvement, E-rostering the clinical workforce: levels of attainment and meaningful use standards, June 2019. This article summarises NHS guidance for general information. It is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What are the e-rostering meaningful use standards?
They are NHS Improvement's June 2019 description of good e-rostering practice for NHS trusts. They set five levels of attainment, from Level 0 (fewer than 90% of staff on e-rostering software) to Level 4 (organisation-wide e-rostering with board accountability), each defined by specific standards that must all be met.
What does Level 1 e-rostering require?
Level 1, visibility of the individual, requires e-rostering software with paperless payment, trained users, all contracted hours recorded on the system, a written organisation-wide rostering policy, and at least 90% of staff registered on an e-roster.
How far ahead should a rota be published?
The NHS e-rostering standards expect trusts to publish the final rota at least six weeks before it starts, and ideally twelve. The earlier a rota is final, the more gaps can be filled by your own staff instead of bank or agency cover.
Do care homes have to follow the NHS e-rostering standards?
No. The standards are guidance for NHS trusts, not a legal duty for care homes or GP practices. They remain a useful benchmark, especially the Level 1 and Level 2 expectations on recording hours, applying rules, staff access and early publication.