North Mid and Locum’s Nest partnership finalists for two prestigious awards
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and Locum’s Nest’s partnership working was confirmed as finalists for two awards at the prestigious 2023 HSJ Partnership Awards.
The partnership was named as a finalist for both the Best Acute Sector Partnership award and the Workforce and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year award.
The national recognition comes after the impact the collaborative work with Locum’s Nest has, and continues to have, on patient care and staff experience at North Mid.
Starting in 2018, the Trust, alongside Locum’s Nest, designed and implemented technology-enabled workforce processes and solutions at North Mid with the aim of reducing total agency use and spending, increasing the number of doctors working at North Mid and improving the care patients receive at North Mid.
Expanding the Trust’s reach to more doctors through Locum’s Nest’s services helped reduce waiting times and increase patient safety whilst also increasing staff retention and engagement at North Mid.
The collaboration has resulted in patients receiving better, quicker, safer, and more accurate care by having more doctors on shift, and 87% of doctors recommending North Mid as a place to work with a supportive workforce.
The collaborative efforts improved staff satisfaction by enabling North Mid doctors to have more flexibility and control over their work and shifts by allowing them to work in more than 20 Trusts across the UK on shifts that suited them through Locum’s Nest services.
Locum’s Nest has also increased the Trust’s bank staff from 140 members to over 800 to date which has seen the Trust make estimated savings of over £750,000 every year by reducing its agency use and spending.
The partnership was also recognised for the Workforce and Wellbeing Initiative of the Year Award for the impact it has had in driving a better working culture at North Mid and within the NHS.
It has allowed the Trust to work in a more transparent manner with its workforce through engagement in ways ranging from digitally matching available shifts to healthcare professionals that are available, staff recruitment, communication, training, and more.
Dr Vicky Jones, Medical Director at North Mid, said: “The impact our partnership with Locum’s Nest has had on both patient care and staff wellbeing and satisfaction has been incredible.
“To be named as finalists for two prestigious awards in this year’s HSJ Partnership Awards is an honour and truly emphasises the impact our work has had.”
The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise the most effective collaborations with the NHS and highlight the benefits which working with the private and third sectors can bring to patients and NHS organisations.