A Culture Of Collaboration Helping Foster The SWaG Collaborative Staff Bank
Jonathan Hern,
Senior Customer Solutions Lead at Locum’s Nest
A key aspect of my role at Locum’s Nest is to communicate with stakeholders and become a change agent when launching with NHS Trusts. Having worked within or alongside the NHS for over 10 years, I’ve witnessed many software launches at a number of levels. As an end user of technology implementation in the past, I often felt ‘Oh, another system to learn. Will this be easier than what we do now? What will this mean for my day-to-day output?’
I understand this fear for many potential users so with this in mind, in my role I:
Meet as many stakeholders at as many levels as possible
Hold engagement sessions on-site or remotely
Make myself available around the clock to ensure end users who work nights or weekends are included
Show users how the system will improve their workload and/or work-life balance. That is a part of the job I really love and a great feeling when I look someone in the eyes and I see that they understand the benefits, not just to the organisation, but to them personally
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has left many healthcare organisations debating the best way to not only keep services running at safe levels but to position staff wellbeing at the forefront of these initiatives; from my experience collaborative staff banks are key! In November 2022, Locum’s Nest launched The Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire (SWaG) Collaborative Staff Bank, which has seen 5 Trusts come together to share their pool of staff. I am proud to be the designated Customer Solutions Lead for a number of the participating Trusts who’re now able to provide more comprehensive coverage for their patients as well as improved continuity of care, by maximising the strength of their collective staff pools.
When I started working with Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GWH NHS FT), one of the five Trusts part of the SWaG collaborative, what struck me most was their desire to do things differently and listen to staff on the ground. For context, many doctors had rotated into the Trust who had previously discovered the benefits of the Locums Nest platform at neighbouring NHS Trusts and this peer-to-peer feedback had now been taken onboard.
I’m pleased to see the staff bank at GWH NHS FT has grown by a major 75% since launching with Locum’s Nest - with much of this thanks to 5 NHS Trusts doing their best to work collaboratively in a transparent manner. Better still, the collaborative staff bank has grown by 93% since launching, benefiting all organisations involved.
So, what helped with the rollout at GWH NHS FT and the collaborative culture?
Good relationships between senior stakeholders in different NHS Trusts across the region
Open discussions, for example working groups met to discuss rate alignment before launch
Workplace culture and belief in collaboration over competition that I sensed from day one
Prioritising setting realistic rollout expectations and meaningful project plans. After speaking to key stakeholders, understanding their requirements and the data sets they had available I knew I would be able to support them in rolling out to their pilot areas within 8 working days
Streamline processes across all users and support the reduction in often onerous paper processes through digital solutions, hence reducing admin time
Being a designated contact for the Trust at Locum’s Nest truly enables me to build relationships thoroughly at all levels to gain a deeper understanding of the current and evolving context. This was echoed by Leianne Waller, Head of Workforce Transformation at GWH NHS FT:
“Having a named person to go means that we build a relationship and history which is easier to resolve issues without having to explain things from scratch each time. It also means that the buy-in from the rest of the organisation is easier and there is a belief that we are offered a service, not just another system.”
To be able to support organisations and the NHS as a whole always provides me with lots of joy in my role. The SWaG Collaborative has been a success to date, but it's not just because of the technological solution Locums Nest created and implemented, but because of the stakeholders within it who have created a culture of collaboration to the benefit of not just system users but patients in the region. As recent as March, 16.7% of shifts at GW NHS FT were filled collaboratively, due to being part of the SWaG collaborative staff bank - a phenomenal achievement!
At the end of the day, we’re all potential patients and have family and friends who are patients. If I can do anything to help healthcare professionals, rota coordinators, temporary staffing teams and other hard-working NHS staff who work tirelessly to reduce the admin burden, free up more clinical time and have access to data to make informed decisions then I‘m certainly satisfied in my role.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts on fostering a culture of collaboration in NHS organisations. If you have any questions about how I can help enhance your temporary workforce or work with you to create a successful collaborative staff bank, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on LinkedIn or by email at Jonathan@locumsnest.co.uk. Alternatively, you can book a call with one of our friendly and knowledgeable team.