Amid manpower crunch, Tan Tock Seng Hospital to offer flexi-shifts to 2,500 nurses by end-2024

Source: CNA

SINGAPORE: When Ms Manjares Melody Biag returned to work from maternity leave eight months ago, she opted for a work arrangement that was novel in healthcare: Flexi-shifts.

"(It) benefits me a lot because I need to take care of my baby in the daytime, and it allows me to not miss out on any of his milestones," said the senior staff nurse from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

Ms Manjares was part of the hospital's "liquid nursing" initiative, which was trialled since October last year with more than 200 nurses.

On Thursday (May 9), TTSH announced that it will expand the programme to 2,500 nurses working in 27 inpatient subsidised wards by the end of this year.

There are plans to eventually roll it out for all 4,000 nurses across the hospital, including in the intensive care ward.

This comes as the nursing sector, notorious for long hours and shift work, struggles with a perpetual manpower crunch. TTSH said it hopes to give its nurses more flexibility to plan their work and balance their life through flexible rosters.

It is the latest effort by local healthcare institutions to reduce staff attrition.

Last year, Gleneagles Hospital chartered shuttle buses between Singapore and Johor for staff who live in Malaysia to get them to stay in the job.

In February, the Ministry of Health announced a long-term retention scheme where nurses will receive up to S$100,000 (US$74,000) over the next 20 years of their career, with payouts every four to six years. It is set to benefit about 29,000 nurses in the public healthcare system.