Temporary staffing is a critical part of any NHS Trust’s workforce model. But when outdated processes and limited agency visibility dominate the approach, costs can quickly spiral – and staffing teams can find themselves overwhelmed.

This was the challenge facing Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, who were relying on spreadsheets, long email chains and a small number of recruitment agencies to fulfil vital medical staffing needs.

Serving a population of over 570,000 across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Trust operates in a uniquely pressured environment – needing to scale its workforce for both winter surges and seasonal summer demand from tourists. In 2022/23, they recorded over 228,000 agency hours across 20 sites. But 100% of workers were agency-sourced, meaning VAT costs and limited visibility were impacting efficiency and cost control.

The Turning Point: A Strategic Partnership with Plus Us and Patchwork

To tackle this, the Trust partnered with Plus Us and Patchwork Health, aiming to introduce better oversight, smarter engagement models and more flexible sourcing.

By moving away from siloed spreadsheets and embracing a workforce platform, the team was able to:

• Increase direct engagement of temporary medical staff from 23% to 63%
• Achieve £30,000 in monthly savings by booking staff at lower charge rates
• Save £33,000 in VAT through direct engagement
• Significantly reduce admin burden on the medical staffing team

The collaborative consultancy approach with Plus Us also helped embed long-term improvements, enabling the Trust to diversify the roles being recruited while increasing visibility and transparency across the entire staffing operation.

“Karl and the team at Cornwall have demonstrated what’s possible when you reset the agency staffing model with a focus on visibility and transparency,” said Matt Fryer, Managing Director of Plus Us and Brookson Group.

“This is a brilliant example of how NHS Trusts can make meaningful progress while continuing to support clinical delivery.”

This success story proves that with the right tools and expert support, NHS Trusts can regain control of agency spend, improve workforce resilience, and unlock real-time insights to power better staffing decisions.

Read the full story on HUB Publishing:
Gaining oversight and control of the vital flexible workforce