Our workforce specialists are experienced in supporting the challenges of NHS Finance Leaders and we are here to help. In our latest guidance article, we highlight six solutions that are designed to improve commercial decision-making and deliver improved financial outcomes and efficiencies.
- Value for money
The NHS Workforce Alliance is a partnership between Crown Commercial Service and the four NHS-owned and operated collaborative procurement hubs. As an Alliance we combine our collective buying power to operate on a national scale to procure workforce solutions once for the NHS. This approach delivers significant economies of scale, improved competitive rates, enhanced value, and stronger commercial terms. By choosing Alliance frameworks, NHS organisations benefit from greater efficiency, and a more cost‑effective approach to workforce procurement.
2. Compliance and reduced risk
Our Health Assurance Audit function provides a robust audit of temporary staffing suppliers on our clinical staffing, non clinical staffing and health workforce solutions frameworks. This underpins compliance across the temporary staffing workforce minimising financial and legal risks associated with non-compliant staffing practices.
3. Evidence-based workforce planning
The Alliance offers workforce data analytics and market intelligence reporting to support more informed, efficient and productive staff management and planning decisions. Use this service to gain deeper insights into your spending on temporary staff including trends, spikes and rates.
4. Improved workforce efficiency
Our experienced regional workforce teams can provide consultation and advice to identify and report on workforce cost inefficiencies which can then be addressed in-house or we can support trusts to engage with suppliers to deliver the recommended improvements.
5. Manage agency staffing cost pressures
Our new Health Workforce Solutions framework offers trusts innovative and flexible solutions for managing agency staffing cost pressures as well as sustainable alternatives to traditional agency staffing models. Trusts can also invest in long-term workforce development and retention by accessing suppliers of occupational health and learning and training.
6. Proudly part of the NHS – savings made are re-invested back into the NHS
We are not for profit. Our workforce commercial agreements and workforce management advice are available to the NHS at no cost. We are funded through a supplier levy, re-investing any surplus back into the NHS. Funds generated by utilising Alliance frameworks remain within the NHS and help improve patient services. Based on our current market share estimate of 40% to 60%, in 2024/25 over £72m additional cost reductions could have been achieved if all NHS organisations had used Alliance temporary staffing frameworks.
Examples of Alliance financial outcomes
- Savings made by utilising our insourcing framework
In 2024/25 over £7 million was saved using the Alliance discounted tariff for insourced services. Suppliers on our Insourced Services framework utilise spare, out-of-hours capacity in trusts to help tackle backlogs. A percentage discount on the standard tariff price guarantees cost savings.
- NHS agency staffing spend reduction
To support meeting national policy targets, we helped the NHS reduce agency staffing spend by £387m between 23/24 and 24/25.
- £40.8m saved on temporary staff through lower average rates.
Benchmarking of average rates in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24 for an equivalent grade, shift and speciality show usage of our temporary staffing frameworks saved the NHS £40.8m due to lower average rates.
How can we help?
If you would like to discuss workforce support that drives value for money and cost efficiencies, complete the form on our contact page.