How Clinical Insourcing Is Helping NHS Trusts Reduce Backlogs and Recover Elective Services in 2025

Apr 29, 2025.

Introduction

With elective recovery a national priority and waiting lists still placing considerable strain on NHS services, trusts are under pressure to find flexible, sustainable ways to expand capacity and improve access to care — without overstretching internal teams or sacrificing governance.

One increasingly vital solution is clinical insourcing: bringing skilled external Healthcare Professionals into NHS facilities to support and deliver additional services during evenings, weekends, or other out-of-hours periods.

By supporting the workforce and making better use of existing NHS infrastructure, insourcing allows trusts to increase throughput, reduce waiting times, and maintain full control over patient pathways.

In this guide, we’ll explore how clinical insourcing works in practice, how it compares to outsourcing, and — most importantly — why it’s helping NHS organisations tackle backlogs, hit RTT targets, and deliver excellent care.

What Is Clinical Insourcing – And Why It Works
Framework-Approved and Governance-Aligned
Where Clinical Insourcing Delivers the Most Value – ID Medical in Action
Insourcing vs Outsourcing: What Trusts Need to Consider
Why NHS Trusts Choose ID Medical
Partnering With ID Medical for Long-Term Improvements

What Is Clinical Insourcing – And Why It Works

Clinical insourcing involves bringing in pre-vetted external Healthcare Professionals to deliver services on-site within NHS hospitals and clinics. This enables trusts to expand capacity without outsourcing patients to third-party facilities.

The NHS retains:

Full operational control
Oversight of clinical governance and safety
Continuity of the patient journey within NHS systems

It’s an agile, resource-efficient model that supports:

Elective care recovery
Diagnostics and imaging
Specialist outpatient services

By maximising the use of NHS facilities — particularly during evenings and weekends — insourcing helps increase throughput while preserving care quality.

Framework-Approved and Governance-Aligned

Insourcing can be procured via the NHS Insourcing Framework Agreement, available through all of the following Frameworks:

NHS Shared Business Services
Workforce Alliance RM6276
NHS Wales
Countess of Chester On-site Surgical & Medical Capacity
NHS Scotland DPS Framework

As a pre-approved provider on these Frameworks, ID Medical can offer:

Rapid mobilisation across specialities
Full compliance with NHS procurement protocols
Transparent pricing and robust governance alignment
Seamless integration with local systems and teams

This ensures fast access to capacity-boosting services, without compromising clinical or financial governance.

Where Clinical Insourcing Delivers the Most Value – ID Medical in Action

At ID Medical, we partner with NHS trusts and health boards to deliver rapid, high-quality care across a wide range of specialities. Here’s where we’re making a difference:

Dermatology Services Across Wales and the South East

Earlier this year, we mobilised dermatology outpatient and minor operations services across:

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (3 sites)
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (1 site)

✔ Full Clinical Teams including Dermatology and Plastic Consultants, Nurses, HCAs, and Specialist Nurses

✔ In-week, evenings and weekend delivery

✔ Full patient pathway supported

✔ Hundreds of patients treated in the first month alone

✔ Reduced waiting lists

“One of the smoothest implementations I’ve seen in 26 years. Keep doing what you’re doing!”

—Associate Director of Planned Care, Wales

ENT Surgery Expansion at Sherwood Forest NHS Foundation Trust

We expanded our contract to include:

ENT surgical services for both adult and paediatric patients
Procedures such as septoplasties and tonsillectomies
Full multidisciplinary Theatre Teams (Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Nurses)

Urology LATP Services at Royal United Hospitals Bath

We launched a new LATP urology clinic, delivering:

Consultant-led care with specialist support
Full insourced teams
Procedures delivered on-site, reducing reliance on outsourcing

In just one month, our teams treated over 600 patients across these new and expanded services — all within NHS infrastructure, without disrupting core services.

Insourcing vs Outsourcing: What Trusts Need to Consider

When considering whether to insource or outsource services to expand clinical capacity and reduce backlogs, the right choice depends on a range of factors — from internal capacity to availability — and often comes down to a simple but vital question: Do we have the space to deliver services in-house?

If the answer is yes, insourcing is often the preferred route. It allows trusts to retain operational control, ensure alignment with internal governance and clinical standards, and deliver services within the familiar environment of NHS sites. With external Healthcare Professionals working on-site during evenings, weekends, or quieter periods, insourcing makes full use of existing infrastructure and supports continuity of care.

If the answer is no, outsourcing can provide essential additional capacity by moving patients off-site to other facilities. This is particularly valuable for specialties that require high-volume or space-intensive procedures, such as dermatology or elective surgery, when trust buildings are already at capacity.

Many trusts also take a hybrid approach, insourcing core or high-priority services while outsourcing less frequent or space-demanding treatments. This flexibility allows teams to balance efficiency with governance, without compromising patient care or RTT performance.

Why NHS Trusts Choose ID Medical

✅ Proven delivery across many specialties

✅ Rapid deployment, even during pressure periods

✅ Framework-approved and CQC-aligned

✅ End-to-end support, from planning through to post-delivery evaluation

✅ Exceptional client satisfaction, with average scores of 99%

Whether you need outpatient clinics, diagnostics, or additional theatre sessions, ID Medical delivers responsive, high-quality care at scale.

Partnering With ID Medical for Long-Term Improvements

Clinical insourcing is no longer just a short-term fix — it’s a long-term lever to unlock NHS capacity, safeguard quality, and accelerate performance improvement.

If you’re exploring options to reduce waiting lists or expand capacity, we’re ready to support you with scalable solutions that work.

Contact us today to learn more about partnering with ID Medical:

www.id-medical.com/clinical-services

Call: +44 (0) 1908 525 756

Email: clinicalservices@id-medical.com