We’re delighted to present our finalists for the category of “Workforce solution of the year”.
Modality Partnership: Modality workforce transformation programme: A multi-layered, digitally enabled wellbeing strategy
Overview: Modality has implemented a whole-system workforce transformation programme that integrates digital wellbeing support, culture change, leadership development and structural workload reduction. Using rich staff wellbeing data, the organisation now understands its workforce more deeply.
What happened? A refreshed Freedom to Speak Up programme expanded guardian capacity, improved visibility and ensured colleagues had safe, confidential routes to raise concerns. Alongside this, the organisation created wellbeing champions and wellbeing guardians. A 24/7 confidential employee helpline was implemented across the organisation. Digitised daily huddles, structured check-ins and transparent communication practices reinforced team cohesion and supportive behaviours. Workload reduction remained a critical pillar: RPA releasing 55,000+ hours of administrative burden; AI scribing reducing documentation by >50 percent and significantly cutting after-hours work; Agentic AI removing large volumes of manual LTC recall tasks; and digital front-door optimisation reducing call pressure and smoothing demand patterns. Key cultural indicators include record-high participation (84 percent), and increased willingness to self-identify (22→36 percent). Colleagues also noted stronger team connection, more effective collaboration and improved day-to-day support structures.
Lantum: Building a fairer, smarter workforce: AI-enabled rota transformation at Whittington Health
Overview: Whittington Health NHS Trust partnered with Lantum to co-create In-Genius, an AI-driven rota solution, transforming workforce planning and wellbeing. The project reduced temporary staffing reliance, automated manual processes and improved fairness, flexibility and staff morale.
What happened? A pilot in paediatrics and neonates achieved a 52 percent reduction in rota gaps and £370k savings in agency and bank spend. Over the following year, rollout extended to 17 of 25 eligible rotas. Lantum also replaced the trust’s payroll and compliance checking system with DRS, which interoperates with In-Genius. Each rota required a detailed configuration phase, with one-to-one support provided to rota managers. Clinicians were trained to submit requests via webinars and videos. The Lantum team also ran numerous workshops to gather feedback and continue iterating the tool. Clinicians now enjoy greater autonomy, with 98 percent of leave requests honoured on average, compared with approximately 50 percent before implementation. Recovery periods between long or night shifts increased by 30–40 percent. Manual rota creation, payroll reconciliation and compliance checks are now automated, reducing payroll errors. Rotas that once took weeks to build and check for compliance are now generated in minutes. In-Genius delivered £624k in validated cash-releasing savings in its first year.
Stroud Green Medical: Manual FFT analysis: The hidden time drain in general practice!
Overview: FFT analysis consumed three+ hours monthly of practice manager time. Manual processing delayed patient concern responses, buried staff recognition opportunities, and made CQC evidence gathering reactive rather than proactive. We needed real-time intelligence from patient feedback without increasing administrative burden.
What happened? Friends and Family Test (FFT) analysis was consuming over three hours monthly of practice manager time. We developed an FFT Dashboard using AI, that transforms unstructured patient feedback into instant, actionable intelligence. Every FFT submission is instantly analysed, categorised, and flagged for action. Patient comments automatically map to CQC domains. Each piece of feedback becomes instant evidence for our next inspection, eliminating the pre-inspection scramble. Positive feedback automatically links to mentioned staff members, creating real-time recognition that boosts morale. Beyond simple positive/negative classification, our dashboard understands context. “Waited 20 minutes but the doctor was thorough” registers as both an access issue and quality care indicator, enabling service improvements. Monthly reports, trend analysis, and evidence exports happen instantly. Patients benefit from same-day responses to concerns and continuous service improvements driven by their feedback.
Totalmobile: Fife Council & Totalmobile: Delivering Scotland’s workforce transformation in community care
Overview: Fife Council transformed its Care-at-Home workforce using Totalmobile’s CareLink solution. Automated scheduling, mobile access, safer staffing and real-time visibility have increased weekly capacity by 1,713 hours and supported over 3 million visits in 12 months.
What happened? Fife partnered with Totalmobile to deploy CareLink, a workforce solution designed specifically for community care. Within months, 90 percent of scheduling was automated. CareLink matches staff to visits based on geography, skills, continuity and availability. Care workers now receive their full schedule, including travel time, arrival windows, visit details, and risk information directly on their device. Managers have real-time visibility into staffing levels, activity, and capacity, supporting compliance with the Safer Staffing Act. Fife uses tailored performance dashboards to monitor hours delivered, visits completed, KPIs and areas of unmet need. CareLink now underpins upcoming developments, including digital care plans on devices and a service user portal. Weekly care hours increased from 9,765 hours (May 2023) to 11,478 hours (to date 2025). That is 1,713 additional hours every single week. More than 3million home care visits were successfully delivered in the last 12 months. With £2.35 million in annual savings, the service has been able to stabilise its staffing model and reinvest strategically.
SARD JV Limited: Optimising the medical workforce at Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust with SARD
Overview: SARD supported Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to optimise its medical workforce by delivering 285 completed job plans and demand analysis across 18 specialties. The programme provided medical workforce visibility, and advanced the trust from Level 0 to Level 3 NHS England attainment.
What happened? The programme began with a diagnostic phase in which SARD worked closely with the trust to assess processes and review the job planning policy. SARD deployed its integrated Medical Job Planning and Consult Demand & Capacity Modelling systems, replacing the trust’s legacy platform. The system enabled consultants and signatories to create, review and approve plans electronically with real-time visibility of progress at team and organisational levels. SARD provided direct support to over 70 per cent of the medical workforce. Central to the programme was the capacity and demand analysis across 18 specialties. Using data from the completed job plans, SARD analysed how medical time was distributed across clinical care, supporting professional activities and on-call work. Findings enabled the trust to see where capacity surpluses or shortfalls existed. In anaesthesia, clinical care capacity exceeded demand by 31 PAs per week, equivalent to four full-time consultants. Built-in system tracking identified clinicians yet to start or submit plans, allowing targeted follow-up and ensuring full completion.
