Psychometric assessment tools could replace recruitment agencies, according to a recruitment manager in the NHS.

Claire Maguire, programme lead in the health service's Gateway for Leadership management training scheme, is already opting to use an online psychometric tool instead of a recruitment agency.

She claims the SiftAbility tool supplied by Capita, is a fairer way of selecting the best candidates and is good value for money.

She added: "It is good for identifying what you want in terms of competencies and takes a lot of the subjectivity out of shortlisting."

Maguire then uses an assessment centre to select the candidates she wishes to take on for the management course.