Establishing interoperability with workforce systems at The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Highlights
640% staff bank growth in under 18 months
94% shift fill rate in A&E between January 2019 – December 2021
£300k saved through agency avoidance per month between February 2020 – December 2021
£119k saved annually through enforced mandatory breaks for Bank Staff
Nearly 40% of the staff bank recruited from outside the Trust’s pool of substantive staff
The Challenge
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (THH) was in the process of rolling out a rostering system for doctors. To complement the rostering software, the Trust decided to introduce Patchwork’s tech-enabled bank service. At the time, however, the Trust’s two systems were standalone, meaning data had to be entered into the separate systems to keep them both synchronised; creating admin burden and the risk of error.
The Solution
In partnership with PA Consulting who were project managing the e-roster rollout across the Trust, Patchwork undertook a transformation programme at THH to introduce greater visibility, grip and predictability over temporary staffing. This involved working closely with stakeholders across the organisation to redesign operational processes and to introduce best practice pathways.
Working collaboratively, real time integration with other IT systems was achieved to remove the duplication in administrative tasks and to ensure that frontline teams had access to the right information at the right time. Since going live with Patchwork, the Trust has grown its staff bank by 640% with projected contractual savings of over £1 million.
Results
Staff Bank Growth & Increased Fill Rates
- 640% staff bank growth, in under 18 months
- 94% shift fill rate in A&E between January 2019 – December 2021 (the department with most shifts requested)
Agency Replacement
- £300k saved through agency avoidance monthly between February 2020 – December 2021. Shifts are broadcasted earlier, avoiding the need to outsource to agency.
- An average cost saving of £161 per shift via agency replacement
Patchwork makes liaising with multiple departments at once so much easier as both sides can see what stage bookings of shifts are at making communication faster.