Industry pushback on government reducing reliance on agencies in NHS

The recruitment industry has responded to a House of Lords question session where the NHS’s reliance on agency medical staff was discussed.

Government’s 10-Year Health Plan to Reduce Agency Staff

During the oral question session, the government reiterated its commitment made under its 10-year health plan to eliminate NHS agency spending by the end of the current parliament.

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has responded to this, stating that the government cannot simply wish agencies away.

Maxine Bligh, Interim Chief Executive at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), explained, “The Minister’s remarks reflect the government’s continued determination to reduce agency spending in the NHS, but they do not address the underlying workforce challenges that make temporary staffing necessary in the first place.”

“Ministers remain committed to eliminating agency spending, yet the workforce plan intended to underpin that ambition has still not been published.

“Healthcare staffing agencies work with NHS professionals every day and have direct insight into why clinicians move between permanent, Bank and temporary work.

“Yet they were not among the more than 100 organisations involved in discussions about the workforce plan, according to information provided by the Department this summer.”

Trusts rely on temporary workers to step up at short notice

Bligh added, “Patient safety is best served by addressing workforce shortages and retention challenges, not simply by reducing one route through which staffing gaps are currently filled.

“Trusts rely on temporary workers to step up at short notice and keep wards open, services running and appointments on track because of years of challenges in recruiting and retaining enough permanent staff.

“The Minister’s comments raise the obvious question of how the NHS, which is recruiting fewer permanent staff and reducing headcount, maintains services, while also reducing agency use.

“We agree that agency workers are certainly not a substitute for a sustainable workforce strategy, but neither can ministers simply wish them away. Cutting off one source of staffing does not automatically create another.”

“Ministers must focus on partnership, not confrontation, with compliant, regulated and care-focused agencies if they are serious about cutting costs and improving patient care, or risk ignoring the reality that workers increasingly expect flexibility in how and when they work.

“Any temptation to dismiss agency staffing with simplistic claims about ‘rip-off’ costs misses the bigger picture.”

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