The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) has been shortlisted in the RLDatix Awards 2026, which recognise and credit those who drive improvement, champion patient safety, and go above and beyond to enhance the quality of care for all.
SaTH, which runs the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, has been nominated in the Driving Productivity and Operational Excellence category for its Medical Job Planning Improvement Programme.
SaTH’s programme was launched as an organisation-wide initiative to strengthen visibility of clinical capacity, improve operational efficiency and support better patient access to care. It formed part of the Trust’s response to NHS England’s Senior Medical Job Planning Improvement Programme, with ambitious local targets set to significantly increase compliance and embed prospective job planning practices.
Delivered through a highly collaborative and clinically-led approach, the programme brought together Medical Director Services, operational teams, Clinical Directors and medical and operational leaders to redesign and improve job planning processes. This has enabled the Trust to build a clearer, more consistent understanding of how clinical time is used, supporting more effective service planning.
The initiative has already delivered significant benefits. Improved alignment between job plans and service delivery has supported increases in theatre utilisation, reduced reliance on agency and outsourced services, and contributed to improvements in key performance areas, including reducing long waits and strengthening cancer pathways.
The work has also strengthened governance and transparency around workforce planning, helping to create a more sustainable and consistent approach across the organisation. The programme has generated wider interest at a regional and national level as a scalable model for improving productivity and operational effectiveness within the NHS.
Dr John Jones, Group Chief Medical Officer, said: “Being shortlisted for a national award is a fantastic recognition of the hard work and commitment of colleagues across the Trust. This programme has been firmly clinically-led, with our medical teams working alongside operational and corporate colleagues to design a more transparent and effective approach to job planning.
“By improving our understanding of clinical capacity and aligning this more closely with service delivery, we are not only improving productivity, but also creating better pathways and access for our patients. This work is already making a real difference, and we are proud to be sharing our learning more widely.”
Winners of the RLDatix Awards 2026 will be announced at a ceremony on 9 July 2026.
The full shortlist is available on the RLDatix Awards website.