The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has tabled a series of meetings with the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and NHS Professionals in an attempt to solve issues regarding practices.

The meetings will cover a range of contentious issues affecting medical staffing agencies including national and regional tenders, data protection, conduct regulations and the tendering process.

The tendering procedure has caused widespread concern among medical staffing agencies. Dianne Strauss, managing director of medical staffing agency Medics Incorporated, said: “While we applaud the government’s aim to streamline recruitment processes, the introduction of e-procurement is presenting us with some challenges. We feel that this will lead to decisions being made solely on cost. An agency will be tempted to put forward its most cost-effective candidates, but they might not necessarily be the best ones.”

Marcia Roberts, deputy chief executive of the REC, said: “The REC is determined to make sure there is an even playing field between public and private agencies. It is important that competition laws are not breached.”