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The headcount trap

NHS call centres and switchboards are under relentless pressure. Every day, thousands of patients ring in to confirm appointments, chase test results, or ask routine questions. Staff are stretched, and simply increasing headcount is no longer sustainable.


Humberside Police faced the same issue in their Force Control Room (FCR). For a time, they managed by bringing in more staff. But as one leader explained:

“We staffed up our control room to handle the demand… but there comes a point where you can’t ‘people’ your way out of a problem, and you need to look at investing in technology.” - Colin Dring, Digital Innovation Manager at Humberside Police

Three problems. Three automated solutions.

Instead of hiring more people, Police forces have invested in digital solutions that could manage routine demand more effectively:
 
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Live chat / Agentforce proof of concept

Working with Single Online Home (the National Police website), they began testing an Agentforce-powered agent to manage live chat demand. This tool can deal with everyday queries instantly and escalate only the cases that truly need human attention.

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Robotic process automation (RPA)

MuleSoft proved to be a game-changer for Humberside Police. One early use case was the probation team:

  • Log in and see appointment details, referral progress or results.
  • Receive proactive updates instead of needing to call.
  • Communicate in two ways when they need to change or check something.
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Healthcare image (13)

 


Protecting the vulnerable people unit

In another department, around 80% of work was manual and double-keyed. By automating routine research and admin tasks, processes that once took up to eight hours now complete in about 20 minutes.

What actually changed

These changes didn’t remove the need for people - they freed them to focus on the work that truly matters. Staff could dedicate time to high-risk cases, while routine demand was managed digitally.

 

The technology has saved thousands of manual hours, and huge amounts of staff resource.

 

The NHS has the same problem. Now it has the same options!

The same digital tools that have transformed how police forces manage public contact can now be applied to the NHS. By drawing on proven approaches from Humberside Police, NHS organisations have the opportunity to modernise patient access and operational processes at ICB, Trust, or Regional level.

The technology is already available and proven, the opportunity now is to apply it to patient care and operations.

AI-powered live chat and digital agentic assistants

These tools could transform patient access, resolving thousands of everyday queries instantly and easing pressure on switchboards. Cutting down manual tasks, calls and cost for the NHS.


Robotic process automation (RPA)

RPA can automate repeat, manual tasks such as processing referrals, discharges, or prescription requests - reducing turnaround times from a full day to just minutes, thanks to its ability to bring all your data together securely and helpfully.


Integrated digital workflows

With the help of workflows, organisations could eliminate double-keying and ensure updates flow securely across departments, so staff and patients always have the latest information.

 

DISCOVER OUR NHS SOLUTIONS

This isn’t about future ambitions. These solutions are ready for immediate deployment thanks to our team, who have worked on them with your emergency service colleagues. For NHS leaders, the opportunity lies in reducing wasted time, freeing up frontline staff, and providing patients with a clearer, more confident journey through care.

The question isn’t whether it’s possible. The question is: where do you want to start?

 

What would your team do with those hours back?

If you're ready to explore where automation could make the biggest difference across your contact centre, shared services, or operational workflows, our team knows exactly where to start.

We've already done it with policing. We're ready to do it with you.

 

Call us on +44 (0)203 743 8014 or provide your details, and we'll contact you within 24 hours.