Over 5 million owed to recruitment agencies by NHS Professionals, reveals REC

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) today warned that the failure of NHS Professionals (NHSP), the in-house recruitment agency of the NHS, to make payments owed to private recruitment agencies is severely jeopardising the provision of temporary workers into the NHS. The situation is particularly affecting a number of small agencies, which are having their very existence threatened by the unpaid debts.

Following complaints from a number of its members, REC carried out an investigation and, based on these findings, estimates that over 5 million is owed in total by NHS Professionals to recruitment agencies across the country. A significant proportion of the money owed has gone over the standard 90-day late payment threshold.

This is seen as yet another example of how NHS Professionals is continuing to hinder the provision of temporary work within the health service. There have also been problems with nurses and other workers not being paid for months, due to administrative problems within NHSP.

In addition, there are ongoing concerns over NHSPís cost-effectiveness. Pressure is being applied by the Department of Health on trusts to use NHSP in preference to private recruitment agencies, despite the fact that this is creating an additional cost for the taxpayer.

Gareth Osborne, Managing Director of the REC said:

ìThe 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 more efficient and cost-effective.î

For further information, please contact the REC press office on 020 7618 9106