The trust has implemented three new solutions from Patchwork Health to improve its approach to workforce management and increase job satisfaction among clinicians:

• A fully integrated rostering platform designed to offer greater workforce visibility and enable efficient, data-driven staffing
• A digital staff bank which allows approved NHS clinicians to pick up vacant shifts and work flexibly across each of the trust's sites
• A first-of-its-kind agency management platform that ensures managers can source qualified additional staff cost-efficiently when a substantive or bank worker is not available.

The new rostering platform at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust will enable at least 1,250 full-time medics across the region to view their rotas, make annual leave requests, and book shifts easily via a single app, giving them greater control over their own working patterns.

Meanwhile, managers can view all permanent and non-permanent staff on one single roster, as well as any vacancies, allowing them to take a dynamic, data-driven approach to workforce management. 

The digital staff bank offers a marketplace-style platform for managers at the trust to broadcast vacant shifts to its pool of approved temporary workers, while doctors are able to pick up extra hours and work flexibly across any of the trust's sites.  

The adoption of these tools will complement the trust's existing use of Job Planning and Appraisals software, developed by L2P Enterprise, which was acquired by Patchwork Health.

Noella Rowton, associate director for medical workforce strategic development at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We've seen an enormous positive impact since adopting Patchwork's Job Planning and Appraisals tools over the last couple of years, so it felt like the natural next step to complete the set with Rota, Bank and Agency Manager.

‘By adopting these new tools, we're demonstrating our commitment to give clinicians the support and flexibility they deserve. And with the increasing focus on reducing agency spend and driving efficiencies in temporary staffing, Patchwork's solutions should help managers across the trust secure key financial savings, while maintaining safe, effective service delivery.'

Dr Anas Nader, co-founder and chief executive at Patchwork Health, said: 'Adopting solutions like these is crucial to improving wellbeing among clinicians and boosting staff retention rates. Our technology is also helping the trust's management teams to ensure they can service patient demand as safely and cost-effectively as possible, against the backdrop of ever-increasing workforce pressures and demands to cut costs.

'We're committed to proving that flexibility and productivity are not mutually exclusive in healthcare. The best way we can do this is by working collaboratively with colleagues inside NHS trusts to design and implement solutions that address the major staffing challenges they face on the ground.'