Temporary nurses vital for flexible working in the NHS, says REC

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has called for the contribution of temporary workers within the nursing sector to be recognised and enhanced following a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) report on the UK nursing market The RCN report shows an increasing reliance on temporary workers within the NHS, but the REC believes that this should not be seen as a threat. An effectively managed pool of temporary nurses is crucial in order to provide flexible solutions and is the only way to meet ongoing resourcing challenges within the NHS.

The RCN report confirms that, to a large extent, the increased use of temporary workers is driven by the high number of nurses who actually prefer this option due to the flexibility it affords. Being part of the labour pool means nurses can work extra hours or occasional shifts to fit around other commitments while the NHS continues to receive high quality staff.

Increasing the flexible options available to full-time NHS staff may to some extent help more permanent recruitment but it is clear that temporary work will continue to play a huge role in the resourcing of the NHS. The key issue is therefore how this pool of temporary workers is managed.

There are growing signs that NHS Professionals (NHSP), the in-house recruitment agency of the NHS, will be unable to deliver on its objectives and is actually costing more to the taxpayer by adding an extra layer of bureaucracy. As a result, private sector agencies will continue to play a major role in the effective resourcing of the NHS.

Commenting on the RCN report, Gareth Osborne, Managing Director of the REC said:

ìThe report confirms that nurses welcome the flexibility afforded by temporary work. This mirrors developments in other sectors where temping is also increasingly seen as a viable career option rather than a short-term, stop-gap solution. Temporary work is here to stay and it is time to recognise the important contribution made my these flexible workers and by the agencies that supply them .î

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