Medical recruitment specialist Reed Health has won a contract to provide temporary pathology staff to four NHS trusts, as they attempt to drive down costs.

The trusts involved include Chelsea and Westminster, West Middlesex and Ealing and Hammersmith Hospitals Health Trust.

Under the terms of the contract, which was awarded by Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, Reed Health will provide qualified biomedical scientists, laboratory assistants and other staff.

The clients are all trusts whose pathology services are co-ordinated through Hammersmith NHS Trust.

Ritchie Ross, pathology services manager at Hammersmith Hostpitals NHS Trust, said: “We were keen to drive down costs and the administrative burden whilst retaining quality staff and Reed Health is helping us do that.”

Reed Health was unprepared to specify the amount or the length of the contract. However, Alan Howard, divisional director of Reed Health, said: “We started the contract on 4th January to provide a managed service to Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust which we hope will run for several years.

“As a leading provider of health professionals, we were already meeting over 50% of their needs. This contract means Trust managers need only deal with one agency for all their temporary pathology and staff bookings, simplifying the process considerably.”

Reed Health was founded by recruitment guru Alec Reed (pictured), and was originally part of the high street recruiter Reed Executive.