Master Vendor Service Case Study - Wye Valley NHS Foundation Trust

Overview:

In September 2017, the Wye Valley NHS Trust partnered with Day Webster Managed Services to remove high cost off-framework agency nursing supply and deliver a sustainable cost improvement plan while ensuring patient safety and maintaining high-quality patient services at all times.

Background:

The Wye Valley NHS Trust provides healthcare services at Hereford County Hospital, along with several community services for Herefordshire and its borders. To ensure service continuity, they require nursing agency support across the Trust. However, the Trust was spending more than £9 million on nursing agency supply, with 38% of their nursing agency spend being through off-framework/high-cost agencies such as Fast Response and Thornbury. They used over 15 individual agencies with varying rates for the same staff band and shift rules, leading to an agency spend that was more than their desired target of £1.6 million for the new financial year.

Solution:

In September 2017, the Wye Valley NHS Trust engaged Day Webster Managed Services to remove high cost off-framework agency nursing supply and work in partnership to deliver a sustainable cost improvement plan. The Day Webster Nursing Master Vend solution went live with the Trust on the 4th of September with no prior supply or presence. By the end of the first week, Day Webster had filled 78% of nursing supply through a compliant framework mechanism, achieving rate harmonisation and full control across the hospital and community sites. By the end of the first month post-go-live, the average fill rates were 85%, and the off-framework usage had reduced to less than 5%.

Results:

The partnership between Wye Valley NHS Trust and Day Webster Managed Services resulted in a significant reduction in nursing agency spend. With rate harmonisation and full control across the hospital and community sites, the fill rates improved considerably. The off-framework usage had reduced to less than 5%, resulting in cost savings for the Trust.

Conclusion:

Partnering with Day Webster Managed Services allowed Wye Valley NHS Trust to achieve their desired target of cost savings while maintaining high-quality patient services and patient safety. The Nursing Master Vend solution provided by Day Webster allowed the Trust to achieve rate harmonisation and full control over nursing supply, leading to cost savings and improved service delivery.