Newham University Hospital: 70% reduction in locum hours
How one medical department improved rota visibility, reduced locum dependency, and saved over £700k in six months.
The Challenge
NHS trusts across the UK face mounting pressure from rising locum costs, rota complexity, and workforce planning challenges. For many teams, rota management remains fragmented across disconnected spreadsheets, local processes, and short-term workarounds.
Newham University Hospital, part of Barts Health NHS Trust, was experiencing these challenges across its medical department. Fragmented rotas left leadership without visibility of short- or long-term staffing needs. In the short term, unfilled gaps strained staff and impacted patient care. In the longer term, weak workforce planning fuelled locum dependency and spiralling costs.
Short-term pressure
- Unfilled rota gaps
- Staff strain
- Patient care pressure
- Last-minute locum bookings
Long-term pressure
- Limited workforce visibility
- Weak forward planning
- Locum dependency
- Rising costs
Our Approach
A&A Healthcare Solutions worked alongside clinical and administrative teams to redesign rota processes and embed a bespoke tool around how the department actually worked.
Discover
Deep-dive analysis of existing rota processes, pain points, staffing gaps, and administrative burden.
Co-design
Bespoke application and workflow improvements built with rota coordinators and team leaders to improve visibility and simplify day-to-day management.
Embed
Hands-on training, ongoing support, and iterative refinement based on user feedback to make the change stick.
The Solution
A bespoke workforce platform designed around the department's rota challenges.
Unified Rota View
A single dashboard giving complete staffing visibility across the department, tailored to how each team works.
Proactive Gap Spotting
Short-term rota gaps are flagged clearly in one place, making them quicker to identify and fill.
Forward Workforce Planning
Long-term staffing needs are visible months ahead, giving leaders time to recruit, restructure, or train rather than react.
Rota Optimisation Algorithm
Builds balanced rota lines and removes unnecessary overlaps, so staff — the department's most valuable resource — are deployed where they are needed most.
At-a-glance Analytics
Clear workforce insights in seconds, helping managers spend less time on admin and more time leading their teams.
Transformational Impact: 70% reduction in locum hours
Within six months, Newham University Hospital reduced resident doctor locum hours from 12,912 to 3,886, saving over £700k in locum expenditure.
Total Locum Hours Comparison
70% reduction in locum hours
Locum Usage by Month Compared to Previous Year
Monthly resident doctor locum hours compared with the same six-month period in the previous year.
Additional Outcomes
Beyond the headline reduction in locum hours, the project improved day-to-day rota visibility, administrative efficiency, and staff experience.
Enhanced workforce planning and visibility
“We finally have visibility of our entire staffing picture. Gaps are identified early, and we can plan ahead instead of scrambling for locums.”
Significantly reduced time spent on administration
“Makes it easier to manage the departmental rotas more efficiently.”
Better rota visibility for staff
“The interface is easy to navigate and read. I find it very helpful for allocating department resident doctors appropriately.”
Improved ability to track teams and leave
“Great to see who you are working with and track leave entitlement.”
Built around real operational needs
“Having A&A work alongside us meant the solution was built around our reality, not an idealised version of it.”
Practical, tailored training
“The training was excellent, practical, hands-on, and tailored to our specific needs.”
Conclusion
Through collaborative process redesign and bespoke technology, A&A Healthcare Solutions helped Newham University Hospital achieve a 70% reduction in locum hours within six 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 better supported, costs are controlled, and patient care is underpinned by a more visible, better-managed workforce.