Bee Finance is set to expand from three NHS trusts to nine. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust established the shared finance service.
The programme already brings together Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, and Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust under a shared finance and back-office services model. A further six trusts are expected to join over the next 10 months.
Based on publicly available figures, the nine organisations together employ almost 87,000 staff and account for more than GBP £7.34 billion in annual expenditure. That gives a sense of the scale of the arrangement as NHS bodies look for ways to manage financial pressure, staffing constraints, and rising demand.
Bee Finance began as a finance transformation project between Manchester and Bolton. It has since developed into a shared service model in which organisations can choose the support services they want, rather than adopting a single standard package across all functions.
The model combines finance and back-office services with technology, automation, and artificial intelligence. The aim is to improve efficiency, strengthen governance, and support planning across participating organisations.
Growth plans
The planned expansion would triple the number of participating trusts in less than a year. If completed, it would significantly increase the reach of one of Greater Manchester's better-known NHS shared service programmes.
Shared services have been explored for years across the health service as trusts try to reduce duplication and standardise routine processes. Finance functions have often been a focus because they sit at the centre of budgeting, procurement, workforce planning, and regulatory reporting.
The Bee Finance approach stands out for its flexible structure. Rather than requiring each organisation to adopt an identical model, the programme allows trusts to select support services according to local need.
That matters in a sector where merging systems and processes often meets resistance from organisations with different legacy technology, staffing structures, and governance arrangements. A modular design can make adoption easier, though it can also make consistency across multiple organisations harder to maintain.
Operational focus
The programme covers more than finance software. Its broader agenda includes procurement, establishment control, automation, organisational change, and closer alignment of workforce and finance data.
That alignment has become more important for NHS managers because staffing costs remain one of the largest areas of expenditure. Linking workforce and finance information more closely can help trusts monitor vacancies, control agency spending, and plan recruitment against budgets.
The programme is also being presented as an example of how shared services can be used beyond basic cost reduction. Supporters argue that common systems and standard processes can improve oversight and decision-making, especially when multiple organisations are working across a single region.
Edd Berry, Director of Finance Innovation at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, outlined how the project has developed.
"What began as a finance transformation project between two NHS trusts has evolved into a shared service model that is attracting interest from organisations across Greater Manchester and beyond. With six further trusts preparing to join the programme, we believe there is a real opportunity to share what we've learned so far and help other organisations understand what is possible when technology, collaboration, and innovation come together.
"This is about much more than implementing a finance system. It's about creating sustainable, scalable services that help organisations improve efficiency, strengthen governance, and better support the people they serve. Our first Bee Finance Conference will provide a unique opportunity for NHS and local government leaders to hear directly from the organisations involved, understand the challenges we've faced, and explore how similar approaches could support transformation within their own organisations."
Wider interest
The expansion comes at a time when NHS trusts and local authorities are under pressure to find savings without cutting frontline services. Back-office consolidation has often been one route, although results have varied depending on how well organisations manage implementation, local differences, and staff engagement.
Greater Manchester has been one of the more active regions in trying new models for health system reform, integration, and service redesign. The growth of Bee Finance adds another example of a regional initiative moving from a small group of organisations to a broader footprint.
For finance leaders elsewhere, the key question is whether a flexible shared service can deliver common standards while allowing enough local control. The addition of six more trusts will test whether the model can scale while maintaining service quality and governance across a much larger base of staff and spending.
Publicly available information indicates that the organisations expected to take part collectively manage annual expenditure of more than GBP £7.34 billion and employ almost 87,000 staff.