70% Reduction in Locum Hours
How one Medical Department Transformed Rota Management, Improved Staff Satisfaction and Saved Over £700,000 in just 6 months
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. This led to inconsistent staffing from day to day, making conditions tough for staff to deliver quality patient care.
Poor Gap Visibility
Staff gaps were often identified too late, forcing gaps or expensive last-minute locum bookings rather than planned solutions.
High Administrative Burden
Managers, rota leads and administrators were spending a significant portion of their time on tasks which could be avoided.
High Vacancy Rates
Oversight meant it was hard to identify gaps, recruitment was therefore restricted, this led to gaps and poor staffing and difficulty in retaining staff.
Spiralling Locum Costs
Staff vacancies and high reliance on expensive locum cover was unsustainable, with costs continuing to rise year-on-year.
Unsatisfied staff
Staff struggled to take leave due to poor planning, gaps and lack of continuity further worsened working conditions, all this 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.
Rota Optimisation
Maximisng workfoce capacity, reducing unnecessarily overlap, making sure staffing is well balanced and rota lines are optimised
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. This led to better management of staff queries, time saved for administrative staff, and more successful recruitment of staff.
Co-Developed Workflows
Processes designed with staff input ensure adoption and sustainability.
"Makes it easier to manage the departmental rotas more efficiently"
Transformational Impact
Measurable impact within 6 months
Resident Doctor Locum Hours (6-Month Comparison)
Locum Usage by Month Compared to Previous Year
Monthly locum hours showing consistent reductions across all months
Key Outcomes
Feedback from Users
The interface is easy to navigate and read. I find it very helpful for allocating department resident doctors appropriately.
Makes it easier to manage the departmental rota more efficiently.
Great to see who you are working with and track leave entitlement.
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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