Case Study: West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust improves flexible working with NHS Employers

Flexible working using annualised rosters for shifts and leave

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) partnered with NHS Employers to improve flexible working options for its 4,900 staff across a large and diverse region. The trust’s historic “four days on, four days off” pattern did not suit everyone, making it difficult for staff with caring responsibilities, health needs or other domestic commitments to stay in frontline roles.

NHS Employers supported WMAS in introducing a range of flexible working arrangements, including annualised shifts and hours, term-time contracts, job sharing, flexi-time, flexible retirement and compressed hours, all backed by an online rostering system. The change helped 79 staff move to annualised rotas and 2,325 staff onto rostered annual leave rotas, improving advance planning, reducing the need for overtime and short-term cover, lowering sickness absence and creating a more positive team culture.

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust