Transforming temporary staffing over 9 years at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with Patchwork Bank
A longstanding partnership to deliver long-term workforce improvements
Book a demoin cost avoidance since the start of the partnership, 2016 – Spring 2025
of shifts filled at base rate
saved in one quarter alone, Jan–March 2025
workers onboarded to the Trust's bank
Where it all began
Patchwork Health's relationship with Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (CW) is a special one. It's where our story began. Back in 2016, our co-founder, Dr Anas Nader – a resident doctor at the time – joined the Trust on a clinical fellowship. Working closely with the Trust's workforce teams, he helped co-design what is now Patchwork Bank, a new model for how NHS organisations engage with and manage their temporary workforce.
Nearly a decade later, this early-stage innovation has evolved into a national platform, supporting over 100,000 clinicians across more than 200 organisations. CW remains a close and valued partner – one that continues to lead from the front when it comes to delivering high-impact, clinically safe, and financially sustainable temporary workforce management.
"ChelWest is where it all began for me and my journey into the NHS with Patchwork. I've seen firsthand how committed the team are at the Trust, and I'm proud that we're still part of that story."
Dr Anas Nader — CEO and Co-Founder, Patchwork Health
What working successfully together looks like
This isn't a partnership built around a single piece of software or one-off implementation. It's an ongoing, evolving relationship that reflects the realities of workforce planning and management in today's NHS.
Engagement at every level
From staffing coordinators to divisional leads and executive-level stakeholders, the Trust has consistently taken an engaged, hands-on approach to how it manages its medical staff bank.
Long-term impact, not short-term fixes
Digital adoption is championed from the top down, and there's a shared commitment to achieving long-term impact — the need to move fast, adapt often, and make informed decisions backed by data.
From Bank to a connected, end-to-end solution
Having used Patchwork Bank with significant success for many years, the Trust has also implemented Patchwork Agency Manager, taking another big step towards a fully connected, end-to-end workforce solution. The move has significantly improved visibility and control over agency usage – leading to a marked drop in agency-reliant shifts.
A growing bank
With an already healthy intake of workers and a growing bank, CW has a strong foundation to support its temporary staffing needs. There have been over 150 applications from workers to join the bank in just four months of 2025.
A consistently high fill rate
The fill rate is incredibly competitive at CW, with a very strong 98% fill in 2025 – a consistently high fill rate has been a feature of our partnership.
Over £15 million avoided
£1.4 million has been saved through agency avoidance this year alone, with over £15 million saved in total since 2016. On Patchwork Insights, the Trust can access a wealth of dashboards to monitor progress.
Where the Trust stands today
These figures don't just represent cost savings – they point to better consistency for staff, improved continuity of care, and less pressure on those coordinating the entire process behind the scenes across the service.
In cost avoidance since the start of the partnership, 2016 – Spring 2025
Saved in one quarter alone, January to March 2025
Agency shifts halved between April 2024 and April 2025
Workers onboarded to the Trust's bank, with 98% of shifts filled at base rate
Still value to unlock
A full system audit is being planned to uncover new opportunities for alignment and efficiency, while ongoing efforts will focus on continuing to reduce agency reliance. If agency usage for medics is reduced from the current 6% to just 2%, the Trust could unlock an additional £2.7m in cost avoidance over the coming quarter.
"I personally use Patchwork Insights a lot. It saves us time, the graphs are easy to understand, and it's a lot less clunky than other systems. I really enjoy using it."
Thelma Flammia — Temporary Staffing Manager
Lessons from nearly a decade of partnership
This isn't just an example of turning around a specific challenge – it's a story of building and maintaining a high-functioning, high-trust relationship over time.
Engagement drives improvement
From involving divisional leads in the partnership to regularly reviewing and updating permissions and controls, CW has embedded workforce ownership into the day-to-day running of the temporary workforce function.
A sustainable staffing model
The result is a model that balances flexibility with financial control – one that's grounded in transparency, guided by data, and backed by a collaborative approach.
"It is so rewarding to work with such an engaged group of stakeholders across the Trust, and it's fantastic to see the incredible results of the work we have been doing together. I'm really excited to further support the Trust in achieving their strategic and financial goals over the years to come."
Rebecca Harnett-Holmes — Client Relationship Director, Patchwork Health
What could nine years of partnership look like for your trust?
Tell us where your bank stands today and we'll show you the route to base-rate fill and lower agency reliance.