Fragile fulfilment process during staff absence

The process is carried through personal routines and local knowledge rather than a shared, current operational view that another person can pick up.

• Key fulfilment steps depend on one person's working knowledge.
• Outstanding prescriptions and exceptions are not visible in one shared queue.
• Cover staff must reconstruct status before they can progress the work.

For each absence period, the calculation adds the consequence value of the backlog to the staff cost of catch-up work, then multiplies that combined cost by the number of absence periods in a year. Cost per delayed or erroneous script is a set problem parameter set to £18.

• Patients may wait longer for fulfilment updates or completed prescriptions.
• Cover arrangements consume additional staff time.
• Errors or delays can generate rework and complaints.

What it looks like in practice

• A backlog forms during an absence period.
• Delayed or erroneous scripts require follow-up after the absence.
• The returning or covering team records additional catch-up hours.