The Department of Health (DoH) has announced its intention to explore options with the private sector for potential investment in NHS Professionals (NHSP) – the organisation that was initially set up as an in-house provider of flexible staff within the NHS.

Underlining the significance of the announcement, Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations says: ”This is a real milestone, as it is recognition for the private sector’s long-standing role in effectively resourcing the NHS. For many years, the REC has called for a level playing field between public and private sector providers and has questioned the value of having an unwieldy and bureaucratic internal model.”

“NHSP was established with huge public subsidies to replicate the work of specialised recruitment agencies. It has failed on both the quality of service offered to NHS Trusts and the financial burden it has placed on the taxpayer.”

“While private investment may be helpful, the way forward is for NHS Professionals to be fully privatised. This will enable it to compete on a level playing field with other providers and again show that the private sector is best placed to help NHS employers with their critical resourcing needs.”

Hadley added: “The NHS is one of the largest employers in the world and presents one of the greatest resourcing challenges there is.  Flexible staffing arrangements will remain crucial for the delivery of front line services and specialised agencies will continue to provide the most cost-effective means of ensuring that the right staff are in the right place at the right time.”

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