Leading the Shift to Smarter NHS Staffing: The Right People at the Right Time
In the second part of our blog series on the recent government announcement regarding agency and bank spend reduction targets, we look at how a ‘bank-first’ approach can ensure that the right people are in place at the right time, for the benefit of patients and workers, whilst also meeting NHSE and government targets.
9 July 2025
Vanessa Forster, Managing Partner, Liaison Workforce
Government demands 30% agency cuts. Patient safety can’t be compromised. Sound impossible? Maybe not…
We worked with Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust to overcome this very challenge – and saved £360,000 every single month while improving patient care. Here’s how they did it, and how your Trust can too.
The Hidden Crisis Behind NHS Staffing
Picture this: It’s 3pm on a busy ward. Three staff members have called in sick, annual leave was already approved, and you’re staring at dangerous understaffing. What do you do?
Most managers reach for the phone and dial the agency. It’s fast, it fills the gap, but it’s affecting your monthly budget.
The brutal reality is that too many NHS trusts are trapped in crisis-mode staffing, watching agency costs spiral, while desperately trying to maintain safe patient care.
The game-changer isn’t cutting shifts or crossing fingers. It’s transforming your staff bank from a last-resort panic button into your strategic first move.
The Big Question: Bank First or Agency Later?
Liaison Workforce’s staff banks, collaborative banks, and its innovative Liaison National Bank are supporting trusts to answer this question. Instead of:
- Roster published → Gaps appear → Panic call to agency
- Last-minute scrambling at premium rates
- Managers under pressure making expensive quick fixes
They’re doing this:
- Predicting gaps before they happen (annual leave, study leave, seasonal patterns)
- Pre-booking bank staff proactively at lower rates
- Giving managers the tools to succeed, not just survive
The Technology That Really Makes a Difference
Here’s what separates the trusts saving hundreds of thousands from the others:
- Real-time insight into bank staff availability.
- One-click booking systems that actually work.
- Predictive workforce planning that stays ahead of the curve.
Liaison Workforce’s TempRE platform isn’t just another workforce system – it’s the difference between reactive panic and proactive control.
Real Results, Real Savings
“The system has been instrumental in significantly lowering agency costs while providing us with complete visibility and greater control over our bank usage. With the recent release of the draft operational planning guidance, we feel reassured knowing that we’re in safe hands with the Liaison team, who are committed to actively driving savings and enhancing our efficiency.”
Patricia Pedley, Medical Staffing Manager, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
At Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, our bank solution helped the Trust to achieve:
- 72% reduction in average monthly agency spend
- £360,000 monthly savings within 10 months
- Complete visibility across workforce planning
The National Bank: Retired Expertise, Active Solutions
The Liaison National Bank is tapping into a valuable resource of recently retired and peri-retired medical professionals – especially in mental health, where 1.2 million people are still waiting for care.
This is a bank ready to provide the resource that trusts need, and the outcomes:
- Over £26 savings per hour compared to standard agency rates
- 270+ clinicians across 50+ specialties ready to deploy
- Proven expertise meeting urgent capacity needs
Your 10% Reduction Roadmap
Government targets aren’t optional. But they don’t have to mean compromising care.
Your Trust’s roadmap should focus on:
- Forecast, don’t react – Use data to predict staffing gaps weeks in advance
- Make bank bookings effortless – Remove barriers for busy managers
- Choose the right technology partner – The biggest differentiator for bank technology is the collaborative partner you choose
- Tap into national resources – Ensure you have the right people available at the right time.
Every trust faces the same challenge – to reduce spending, and maintain patient safety. It’s about using the flexibility of the end-to-end staff bank to your advantage, avoiding the hidden costs of crisis-mode staffing, and having the right collaborative partners by your side.
Liaison Workforce’s specialists are committed to actively driving savings and enhancing efficiency for NHS partners across the UK – get in touch to find out more.
