Our Story and Mission
The Liaison National Bank is improving healthcare and patient outcomes across the NHS by increasing capacity in more than 50 health specialities nationwide.
At Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, our initiative has helped reduce the Ophthalmology patient list by 80%, enabling patients to receive treatment more quickly and effectively. As a result, patients can return to their daily lives with reduced stress and minimal disruption from untreated health issues. Positive patient outcomes like these motivate our mission to establish the largest bank of retirees, supporting the NHS and improving healthcare for all.
Creating the UK's Largest Retiree Bank
Our national bank is the largest staff bank for retirees in the UK, with over 370 retired clinicians and 40 NHS providers expressing interest. We support recently retired and peri-retired healthcare professionals in continuing their service through flexible work opportunities. This approach allows them to balance their work with other interests and personal commitments. By connecting our clinicians with NHS providers, we help them increase capacity and improve patient care, ultimately strengthening healthcare across the NHS.
Emeritus 2.0
Workforce data shows that around 1,000 clinicians retire from the NHS each year, and waiting lists are at record highs, with over 80% of individuals on the elective care waiting list needing an outpatient appointment.
We launched the Emeritus initiative in partnership with NHS England to encourage retired clinicians to return to the NHS and reduce lengthy outpatient waiting times for elective care. Since its launch in January 2024, the Emeritus initiative has positively impacted patient outcomes nationally, helping one NHS trust reduce its waiting list by 80%. Following the success of the Emeritus initiative within acute care, we wondered whether we could have the same positive impact within other health sectors…
Our patient waiting list for triage in Ophthalmology has reduced drastically. At the start, there were over 1,000 patients waiting to be triaged. With the help of Emeritus, the number of patients now waiting is regularly down to below 200 and is improving consistently.Jonny GoodmanMilton Keynes University Hospital NHS FT
Liaison National Bank
The mental health sector has the highest vacancy rate in the NHS, with nearly 1 in 7 full-time roles currently vacant. In September 2023, it was reported that there were 28,600 vacancies in mental health services, including 1,700 medical and 13,300 nursing vacancies. This shortage of resources, compounded by an ever-growing patient waiting list, underscores the importance of mental health care in the NHS.
We recognised this urgent need and introduced the Liaison National Bank to expand our support for mental health providers to expand their staffing options and plug workforce gaps.
Our ongoing mission
NHS England has confirmed that the initial Emeritus programme will end on 31 March 2025. In response, Emeritus will continue as part of our national bank under Emeritus 2.0, ensuring ongoing support for NHS providers.
This next phase builds on the existing Liaison National Bank approach and will continue to work collaboratively with NHS partners to support capacity, address workforce gaps in critical specialisms, and help improve access to care for patients.
