Does this share my data with my employer?

No. Never. Shiftlyx sits beside the NHS system — it doesn't connect to it. Your rota stays on your device. We don't sell or share data with hospitals, trusts, or managers.

Is Shiftlyx an NHS app?

No. Shiftlyx is built independently by people who've worked shifts. It's a personal tool, not an NHS product. We don't replace HealthRoster, Allocate, or any trust system.

Is this replacing the hospital rota system?

Not at all. Your trust still manages your official schedule. Shiftlyx helps you plan around it — spotting fatigue risks, finding better patterns, coordinating with home life.

How much does it cost?

The core Shiftlyx app is free forever — fatigue score, shift planner, and recovery coach included. Premium unlocks AI Voice Planner, fatigue intelligence, annual leave optimiser, income forecasting, and more. £3.99/month or £18.99/year with the Day One Annual plan — 60% off. New users get a free 1-month trial of Premium. That's less than one NHS parking ticket for a full year of smarter shifts.

I'm not a nurse. Can I still use it?

Yes. Shiftlyx is built for healthcare workers first — paramedics, midwives, HCAs, theatre staff. If you work shifts in the NHS, it's for you. Other sectors coming later.

Do I need to invite my employer or colleagues?

No. Shiftlyx is personal. You can use it entirely alone. Partner Sync (Premium) is optional and only with people you choose.

Will it tell me not to work a shift?

No. Shiftlyx never blocks you or tells you what to do. It shows you the fatigue impact of each option. The decision is always yours. We advise, never authorise.

Does it work with my trust's rostering system?

Not directly — we don't integrate with HealthRoster or similar tools. But you can snap or enter your rota in seconds. The format is simple and consistent.

I work nights. Does this tool get that?

Yes. Night shifts are treated distinctly — circadian disruption is one of the four fatigue dimensions. Recovery Coach is silent after nights. The whole app understands night work.

How to Import Your NHS Rota from Allocate/Metro into Shiftlyx (Complete Guide)

How to Import Your NHS Rota from Allocate/Metro into Shiftlyx

Your NHS rota is already approved. You have seen it in the Loop app (or Allocate or Metro) and you know which shifts you are working this month. The last thing you want to do is manually type every shift into another app.

Good news: you do not have to. Shiftlyx can import your official rota directly from Loop's ICS feed. Here is exactly how to do it.

What You Need

An Android or iOS device with the Loop app installed

Your NHS trust account credentials (the same ones you use to view your rota)

The Shiftlyx app (download from the App Store or Google Play)

Step 1: Generate Your iCal Link from the Loop Web Portal

The correct way to get your roster into Shiftlyx is through the Loop web portal (not the mobile app). Here is the exact workflow:

1. Go to your trust's Loop web portal (the website you use to view your rota on a computer)

2. Log in with your NHS trust credentials

3. In the sidebar menu, click **"Rostering"**

4. Under **"Personal Rostering"**, find and click **"View and share your roster calendar on other devices"** — this links to the Calendar links section

5. Click **"Calendar links"**

6. Click **"Add new"** to create a new calendar link

7. Give it a name (e.g. "Shiftlyx Sync" or "My Rota")

8. Click submit/save — Loop generates a unique iCal link for you

9. Copy the generated iCal link to your clipboard

> That's it. This link contains your approved rota as a machine-readable calendar feed. It updates automatically when your trust publishes rota changes.

Step 2: Import into Shiftlyx

Open Shiftlyx and navigate to the calendar view. Tap the **"Import Rota"** button in the top toolbar.

You have three ways to import:

**Method 1: Paste the iCal URL (best method)**

1. In the import sheet, select the "From URL" tab

2. Paste the iCal link you copied from the Loop portal

3. Shiftlyx automatically normalises the URL (it handles webcal://, webcals://, and bare hostnames)

4. Tap "Import"

5. The app downloads and parses your entire rota

**Method 2: Upload an ICS file**

1. Download your rota as an ICS file from Loop (look for "Download" or "Export File" in the portal)

2. In Shiftlyx, select the "From File" tab

3. Browse and select the .ics file from your device

4. Tap "Import"

**Method 3: Paste the raw ICS content**

1. If the URL method does not work, open the iCal link in a browser on your device

2. The browser will either download the file or show raw text starting with "BEGIN:VCALENDAR"

3. Copy all of that text

4. In Shiftlyx, select the "Paste ICS" tab

5. Paste the content and tap "Import"

Step 3: Review and Confirm

After parsing, Shiftlyx shows a **Reconciliation Preview** summarising:

**Total shifts found:** The number of events detected in your ICS file

**Mapped shifts:** How each event was mapped to a Shiftlyx shift type (Long Day, Night, Twilight, etc.)

**Unrecognised events:** Any entries that could not be mapped (you can manually correct these)

**Excluded entries:** Days marked OFF, SICK, TRAINING etc. are skipped automatically

Review the mapping and confirm the import. Your shifts are now loaded with the correct dates, times, and types.

How Shift Type Mapping Works

Shiftlyx understands the standard shift codes used across NHS trusts:

| Code | Shift Type | What Shiftlyx Maps To |

|------|-----------|----------------------|

| LD | Long Day | Long Day (7:00-19:30 typical) |

| MLD | Medium Long Day | Medium Long Day |

| TW | Twilight | Twilight (13:00-21:00 typical) |

| N | Night | Night (19:00-07:30 typical) |

| E | Early | Long Day |

| L | Late | Twilight |

| AL | Annual Leave | Annual Leave |

| SL | Study Leave | Study Leave |

If your trust uses non-standard codes, Shiftlyx will flag the unmapped shifts so you can correct them manually during the review step.

What Happens Next

Once imported, your rota feeds into Shiftlyx's automatic fatigue analysis:

**Fatigue Score:** Every shift is scored against the four-dimension model (consecutive work, short recovery, cumulative hours, shift-type mismatch)

**Recovery Readiness:** Your body's recovery status is calculated based on upcoming and completed shifts

**Night Recovery Tracker:** If your imported rota includes night clusters, the Night Recovery Banner appears automatically

**Partner Sync:** If you have Premium, your imported rota can be shared with your partner's calendar

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Solution |

|---------|----------|

| "URL did not return a valid ICS file" | The URL may require authentication. Try opening it in a browser first, then use Method 3 to paste the content |

| "No shifts found" | Your trust may use different event labels. Try the manual paste method and check the raw content starts with BEGIN:VCALENDAR |

| Shift types are wrong | Some trusts use codes that differ from the standard. During the reconciliation preview, you can change any shift type before confirming |

| Import button is not showing | Make sure you are on the calendar screen. The Import Rota button appears in the calendar toolbar |

| "HTTP 403/401" | The ICS feed URL may be session-locked. Try exporting as a file (Method 2) instead |

Why Not Automatic Sync?

You might wonder why Shiftlyx does not automatically sync with NHS rostering systems. The answer is intentional: Shiftlyx is a personal tool. Your employer should not control access to your shift analysis tool. Automatic sync would require either NHS trust APIs (which do not exist for third-party apps) or sharing your login credentials (which we will never ask for).

The ICS import method gives you control. You choose when to update. You see exactly what is imported. No background access required.

Need Help?

If your trust uses a different rostering system or the import does not work as expected, contact us via the app or email. We add support for new formats regularly based on user reports.

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*Shiftlyx is a planning aid, not a medical device. Always follow your trust's policies and consult appropriate professionals for health concerns.*

How to Import Your NHS Rota from Allocate/Metro into Shiftlyx (Complete Guide)

How to Import Your NHS Rota from Allocate/Metro into Shiftlyx

What You Need

Step 1: Generate Your iCal Link from the Loop Web Portal

Step 2: Import into Shiftlyx

Step 3: Review and Confirm

How Shift Type Mapping Works

What Happens Next

Troubleshooting

Why Not Automatic Sync?

Need Help?

Try Shiftlyx for free

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The Fatigue Score Explained

Night Work and Your Body Clock

The Real Cost of Shift Work