NHS England’s digital transformation relies on platforms like Digital Medicines, Digital Health Checks, and the Federated Data Platform to improve patient outcomes by streamlining medical services, data management, and communication. System malfunctions can result in increased workloads and patient safety risks. To maintain seamless operations, they required a scalable and sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals ready to make an immediate impact.

For the first phase, the client needed five Service Desk Analysts with ServiceNow, JIRA, and Confluence capability. However, sourcing junior talent with the required niche skills was challenging due to market perception and competition from the private sector.

Leveraging close relationships with top UK universities, FDM could offer a custom solution through targeted recruitment, with a degree-agnostic and CV-blind interview process, and broadened assessment criteria to ensure a diverse talent pool. Bespoke training would provide skills including, through a well-established partnership, official ServiceNow training and certification.

FDM’s holistic approach to consultant wellbeing and career development would ensure long-term retention and continuity.

The client’s hiring manager interviewed and selected analysts from a new FDM IT Operations cohort before intensive training just two months before the first phase delivery date. FDM Skills Lab Coaches collaborated closely to design a bespoke programme, aligning with NHS England’s digital and operational needs within the given timeframe.

To minimise on-site training, and ensure a smooth transition, the FDM Skills Lab developed a custom capabilities development sprint focusing on Confluence and Jira, covering key areas:

• A solid foundation in Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban.
• Proficiency in ITIL-aligned practices, such as Incident, Problem, and Change Management.
• Problem identification, root cause analysis, and solution implementation.
• Stakeholder management to prioritise client needs.
• Effective use and management of ServiceNow’s cloud-based platform.

FDM successfully onboarded five ServiceNow certified Service Desk Analysts within NHS England’s live services directorate, ahead of timeline. Consultants immediately contributed to system reliability, service management, and incident prevention.

Consultant breadth of responsibilities

Three Band 7 Analysts worked on specific areas of support, and two more experienced consultants took on Band 8a Service Manager roles, looking at systems from a wider perspective.

With a high level of stakeholder management, consultants tracked project status and organised meetings to keep stakeholders informed and aligned.

Day-to-day responsibilities included:

• Leveraging Agile principles to lead and manage projects using Jira.
• Managing incidents in alignment with ITIL, supporting service management processes.
• Implementing metrics and monitoring techniques to enable quality checks and improvements.
• Ensuring timely incident responses and transparent communication.

Fostering retention

FDM Consultants seamlessly integrated into existing teams, fostering collaboration and professional relationships. Regular engagement and support structures reinforced loyalty, providing NHS England with a sustainable talent pipeline.

Building a partnership

Recognising FDM’s commitment to diversity and social mobility, the client valued our ability to design and deliver bespoke training solutions on demand.

With another 30 roles anticipated, this partnership continues to expand, opening further opportunities within NHS organisations.