Implementation is currently underway and is expected to be completed by August 2026.

Jo Fanning, chief people officer at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘This investment marks an important step forward in how we support our Agenda for Change staff and deliver safe, effective care for our patients.'

As part of the platform, the trust will implement SafeCare, an acuity-based staffing tool that aligns workforce levels to patient need, alongside Loop, a staff engagement and communication app that enables employees to view rosters, manage shifts and communicate more effectively. Together, these capabilities bring rostering, staffing insight and staff engagement into a single, connected system.

Fanning added: ‘By implementing Allocate Optima, alongside SafeCare and Loop, we are strengthening our ability to ensure staffing levels reflect patient need, while also improving the experience for our teams.

‘Our Agenda for Change staff are already familiar with the system and have responded very positively, and we are confident it will support both staff wellbeing and more effective use of our resources.'