Workforce solutions at Kingston Hospital  

Creating a more efficient workforce model 

Kingston Hospital worked with Bank Partners to reduce agency costs and create a more sustainable approach to temporary workforce supply.

Through bank-first delivery and targeted changes to agency usage, the trust achieved substantial savings while maintaining its focus on patient care.

Client 

Kingston Hospital. 

Challenge

Kingston Hospital faced escalating workforce costs and continued reliance on supplier agencies, particularly for long-term, high-cost workers following the pandemic.

The trust had already achieved a significant reduction in agency usage during 2023. It wanted to build on that progress during 2024/25 while ensuring that changes to workforce supply did not compromise the quality of care.

Our approach

Bank Partners worked with Kingston Hospital to implement a workforce plan focused on reducing bank and agency costs.

A bank-first approach was supported by changes to supply chain management. Preferential rate partners provided a more cost-effective option where agency supply was still required, while agency migrations helped move workers onto bank arrangements.

The programme also addressed off-framework agency use and reviewed service demand to align workforce resources more effectively. Commercial knowledge, data analysis and benchmarking supported negotiations with primary suppliers and informed the review of bank pay rates.

Results 

• 60% reduction in agency usage during 2023 compared with the previous year  

• £2.6 million reduction in agency spend during 2023  

• More than £1.5 million in savings projected for 2024/25  

• Approximately £200,000 saved through negotiated supplier rate reductions  

• Around £1.04 million in anticipated savings from aligning bank pay rates  

Creating confidence in workforce spend 

Greater visibility of workforce demand and agency usage enabled the trust to understand where costs could be reduced sustainably.

Bank Partners used workforce data and commercial benchmarking to support decisions about supplier rates, bank pay and workforce supply. This provided the trust with a clearer evidence base for continued cost reduction.

Client outcome 

Kingston Hospital significantly reduced its reliance on high-cost agency workers and lowered temporary staffing expenditure.

By addressing the causes of long-term agency usage and identifying suitable alternatives, the programme established a stronger foundation for continued workforce efficiency. The approach allowed the Trust to pursue financial savings while protecting the quality of patient care.

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