The NHS should not use employment agencies unless they have “good” and effective diversity and equality policies in place, the deputy chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission has said.

Speaking exclusively to Recruiter at the NHS Employers’ ‘Equality & Diversity; legislation and beyond’ conference, deputy chair Margaret Prosser, said: “The NHS should only use private employment agencies that have good policies on equality and diversity in place.

“Otherwise public money is being paid to private companies that are not helping us adhere to the policies that we would wish. It’s not helping us.”

There was room to use procurement as a lever to deliver diversity and equality both in the NHS and in the public sector generally, Prosser added.