The teams who run the finances and workforce information for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust have been shortlisted for an award by the body which represents NHS financial services across the country.
The finance and people departments for the trust, which runs Stepping Hill Hospital and community NHS services across Stockport, are finalists in the national awards run by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
The trust’s finance and people (HR) directorates have been shortlisted for the ‘Governance’ category in the awards for their joint work in improving efficiencies in the provision of data supporting staffing information.
With a workforce of over 6000 people, and an annual payroll budget (including bank and agency costs) of over £335 million a year, the systems involved in the process are large and complex.
Working together with the company Liaison, the teams set about improving the flow of information using the People Analytics tool. This improved the use of data not just for finance and people colleagues, but for clinical colleagues too, helping them to change existing patterns and make the best use of resources.
This approach has helped the trust both in delivering efficiencies in reduced agency spending, and also helping to increase permanent staffing, which has directly improved patient care.
In submitting for the awards ,the teams also paid tribute to their colleague Caroline Durdle, a workforce manager who played a key role in overseeing the new systems and improvements, who sadly passed away last year.
Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive John Graham said “This work to improve efficiency was an outstanding example of collaboration between our finance and people colleagues. We’re now seeing really positive results from thus not just in the better use of data, but, with increased permanent staffing, improved care for our patients too. I’m delighted these efforts have been recognised by the HFMA by making them finalists for this award, and I wish the teams all the best for the evening.”
The award winners will be announced at the HFMA annual conference in London on 5th December 2024.