The
provision of temporary workers for the NHS is being jeopardised by the failure
of its in-house recruitment agency to make payments owed to recruitment
agencies.
Following
complaints from a number of its members, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation
(REC) carried out an investigation into NHS Professionals (NHSP) – the in-house
facility that recruits temporary staff through agencies. Based on these
findings, the REC estimates that more than £5m is owed in total by NHSP to
agencies across the UK.
A significant proportion of the money owed has gone over the standard 90-day
late payment threshold, it said.
The
REC said there have also been problems with nurses and other workers not being
paid for months, due to administrative problems within NHSP.
Gareth
Osborne, managing director of the REC, said: “The issue of late payment is
causing major problems for recruitment agencies, and is another example of how
the extra layer of bureaucracy that NHSP creates is hindering the effective resourcing of the NHS.
"There
is a growing feeling that that if NHSP is unable to cope with making payments
to agencies, then they should not be commissioned as an intermediary, and NHS
trusts should instead be dealing directly with private agencies, which are proven
to be more efficient and cost-effective.”
