When we talk about improving productivity in the NHS, the conversation usually turns to more tech, more staffing, or more funding.

But there’s a quieter force at work, sometimes overlooked, yet absolutely essential: Training.

At a Trust in the northwest of England, we delivered job planning training that didn’t just tick a box. It landed.

It gave consultants, clinical leads, service managers, and operational teams the confidence to not only use the system, but to understand the purpose behind it. It connected the dots between individual diaries and system-wide workforce planning. It transformed job planning from an annual task to a strategic tool.

Here’s the truth: No software system improves productivity on its own (despite some very bold claims). It’s how people use it that matters. And if people are unsure, disconnected, or overwhelmed? The system fails. No matter how powerful or feature-rich the system is.

That’s why our training focused on:

✅ Making the job planning process meaningful for clinicians

✅ Translating technical features into real-world actions

✅ Giving teams the confidence to question and improve their plans

✅ Equipping leaders to interpret the data and act on it

The results speak volumes. Consultant engagement reached 100%. Specialty teams used templates correctly. And most importantly, people understood what job planning was for.

This wasn’t about compliance. It was about capacity, fairness, service delivery and yes, productivity.

We’re now finalising a Capacity and Demand Report for Elderly Medicine that showcases how far this Trust has come in aligning its workforce with actual service needs. And it wouldn’t have been possible without training that underpinned the delivery.