Case Study: Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust promotes flexible retirement with NHS Employers

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - Customer Case Study

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust worked to build a culture that supports flexible working and helps staff consider retirement options earlier and more proactively. With around 4,000 staff across a large acute and intermediate care service, the trust needed a clear approach to balancing workforce planning, patient care, and individual retirement preferences.

NHS Employers supported the trust with guidance on a comprehensive flexible retirement policy and practical workforce-planning advice covering options such as wind down, draw down, step down, retire and return, and working in the bank. The approach led to a real shift toward part-time working, increased take-up of retirement discussions and wellbeing sessions, and a more consistent, staff-supported way of handling requests across departments while meeting service needs.

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust