70% Reduction in Locum Hours
How Newham Hospital Transformed Rota Management and Saved Over £720,000
The Challenge
NHS trusts across the UK face mounting pressure from rising locum costs and workforce challenges. Newham Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust, was experiencing significant difficulties with rota management across their medical department.
With multiple disconnected rotas, high locum dependency, and limited visibility of staffing gaps, the department was struggling to maintain service levels while controlling costs.
About Barts Health NHS Trust
One of the largest NHS trusts in England, providing comprehensive healthcare services across East London.
Key Challenges
Fragmented Rota Systems
Multiple rotas managed in isolation made it impossible to see the full staffing picture or optimise resource allocation across the department.
Spiralling Locum Costs
High reliance on expensive locum cover was unsustainable, with costs continuing to rise year-on-year.
Poor Gap Visibility
Staff gaps were often identified too late, forcing expensive last-minute locum bookings rather than planned solutions.
Limited Leave Management
Staff struggled to take leave due to poor planning, impacting wellbeing and retention.
Our Approach
A&A Healthcare Solutions delivered a comprehensive co-development programme, working alongside the clinical and administrative teams to transform their approach to rota management.
Deep-dive analysis of existing rota processes and pain points
Co-designed process improvements with frontline staff
Hands-on training for rota coordinators and team leaders
Development of a bespoke application tailored to their workflows
Ongoing support to embed sustainable changes
The Solution
A bespoke application co-developed with the team
Unified Rota View
A single dashboard combining all rotas for complete visibility of staffing across the department.
Proactive Gap Identification
Early warning system highlights gaps weeks in advance, enabling planned recruitment rather than emergency locum cover.
Streamlined Leave Requests
Staff can easily request and manage leave while maintaining safe staffing levels.
Real-Time Analytics
Data-driven insights help managers make informed decisions about workforce deployment.
Co-Developed Workflows
Processes designed with staff input ensure adoption and sustainability.
Mobile Accessibility
Access rotas and manage schedules from any device, anywhere.
"The team brought a rare combination of clinical insight and technical capability. Their co-development approach meant the solution actually works for us."
Transformational Impact
Measurable impact within 6 months
Resident Doctor Locum Hours (6-Month Comparison)
Key Outcomes
Feedback from Users
The app is intuitive and actually fits how we work. For the first time, managing rotas feels manageable.
Being able to see all rotas in one place has transformed how we plan. No more spreadsheet chaos.
I can finally take leave without feeling guilty. The system makes it easy to see coverage and request time off.
The training was excellent - practical, hands-on, and tailored to our specific needs.
Having A&A work alongside us meant the solution was built around our reality, not an idealised version of it.
Conclusion
Through collaborative process redesign and bespoke technology, A&A Healthcare Solutions helped Newham Hospital achieve a 70% reduction in locum hours within just 6 months.
The co-development approach ensured lasting change - not just a new system, but transformed ways of working that continue to deliver value. Staff are happier, costs are controlled, and patient care is supported by a well-managed workforce.
"We finally have visibility of our entire staffing picture. Gaps are identified early, and we can plan ahead instead of scrambling for locums."
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