More NHS interims
The NHS will need to significantly increase its use of flexible staffing if a public sector spending cut leads to a significant reduction in headcount among permanent frontline staff, according to healthcare recruiter HCL. Consultants McKinsey and Company has advised the Department of Health that the NHS in England would need to cut its workforce by 10% (around 137,000 jobs) if it is to achieve planned £20bn savings by 2014. Kate Bleasdale, executive vice chairman of HCL said: “HCL has consistently pointed out that the NHS simply cannot sustain the current level of spending on full-time staff. Agency healthcare staff cost the taxpayer far less than full-time public sector workers, as they are only paid for the house that they work and do not receive the hugely expensive pension provisions and other public sector benefits. Of the £54bn which was spend on paying NHS staff in 2007-8, only 1.8% was spent on clinical agency staff”.
