REC takes forward agency concerns over NHS tendering process

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), the industry body for the private recruitment sector, achieved a number of key amendments to the London Agency Project (LAP 3) conditions of contract for the supply of agency nurses to the NHS. However, a number of key concerns remain and the REC will be monitoring the feedback from members on the tendering process.

Recruitment agencies in the healthcare sector expressed major concerns over specific provisions in the draft terms & conditions. As a result, the REC has been in regular contact with the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) was able to ensure that many of the issues raised were taken on board in the final version of the contract.

Amendments to the terms & conditions included:

Reducing the detail required on invoices.

No re-negotiation of prices at a trust level once it has been agreed

Improved dispute resolution process

Allowing retrospective repayments for agencies if volumes of business are not achieved

Considering requirements for enhanced disclosure and portability of checks in light of the new CRB Enhanced Disclosure process

Clarifying the clauses relating to National Insurance

There are a number of areas that continue to cause concern including the e-auction process, the level of occupational health checks that need to be completed for each worker and the insurance implications of some of the clauses. The concerns are amplified by the fact that the LAP 3 will serve as a template for agreements in other parts of the country and for other contracts such as the NHS Framework Agreement for the Supply of Medical Locums and Locum GPís.

The REC will be collating feedback from agencies on a regular basis and have a number of meetings scheduled with senior PASA officials. The recruitment industry is committed to consistently providing high quality temporary staff to the NHS, but there are remaining concerns that some of the terms & conditions may be impossible to meet.

Commenting on the key wins, Tom Hadley, Director of External Relations at the REC said:

ìIt is great to be able to tell members that their and our hard work has paid off and that NHS PASA is listening to our concerns and making changes as a result. It is in everyoneís interests to ensure that contractual terms & conditions are workable. We will continue to take forward specific issues raised by members and will be working with PASA to ensure that recruitment agencies can continue to provide an increasingly high standard of service to the NHSî.

For further information, please contact the REC press office on 020 7618 910