When Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust (MSEFT) was placed into NHS England’s Recovery Support Programme, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. With a workforce of 15,000 and a population of 1.2 million relying on their services, the Trust faced a daunting challenge to significantly reduce staffing costs, without impacting patient care delivery.

In December 2024, MSEFT entered into a strategic partnership with Litmus, to deliver a comprehensive and risk-managed workforce efficiency transformation programme and support with the achievement of ambitious cost reduction goals.

Within just six months, Litmus exceeded all expectations with remarkable results including:

• £5 million in net savings – double the original forecast
• 40% reduction in agency spending
• 100% compliance with new rate cards and booking policies

In addition, 92% of the Trust’s temporary staffing needs are now fulfilled via the staff bank, with 100% adherence to new bank rate cards and rate policies. Savings have also been maximised by uplifting Direct Engagement (DE) compliance to 100% and extending the DE employment model to cover other, less commonly included staffing groups.

Even more impressively, these changes were implemented during the winter season, without any perceived impact on fill rates or service levels.

“Litmus has provided invaluable support and strategic guidance during a challenging period for our Trust. The results they have achieved in just six months are exceptional and demonstrate their ability to drive impactful operational change with care and realise significant cost savings.”
Dawn Scrafield, Chief Finance Officer, MSEFT

With a strong foundation now in place, MSEFT continues to reap the benefits of ongoing cost-reduction initiatives and Litmus remains a trusted partner, supporting the recruitment of permanent staff into hard-to-fill roles and accelerating onboarding processes.

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