Case Study: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust boosts temporary staff bank fill rates with NHS Employers robotic process automation

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust staff engagement and patient experience

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust worked with **NHS Employers** to tackle an inactive temporary staff bank that was difficult to manage at scale. The trust’s HR bank team was spending too much time chasing workers who were not picking up shifts or responding to communications, while also trying to keep on top of wellbeing checks, training compliance, appraisals and other bank requirements.

**NHS Employers** supported the trust in introducing a robotic process automation system that cross-references ESR and staff bank data to identify inactive workers and send staged text and email reminders after four, eight and 12 weeks. The solution also flags exceptions for human review, such as sickness or parental leave. Results included the bank fill rate rising to **82% in April 2025** from **58% in January 2023**, along with reduced agency use and spend, training compliance above **90%**, an appraisal rate of **97%**, and improved staff morale and engagement.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust