added june 3rd 2010
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NHS in Scotland to Save Millions on Locum Recruitment with Reed Doctor

·         Properly vetted, appropriately skilled locum doctors have an increasingly important role to play in the provision of high quality healthcare by the NHS in Scotland. [The resourcing flexibility and lower overall employment costs of recruitment agency-supplied locums makes them a very practical and cost-effective resourcing option for healthcare managers – the NHS doesn’t have to pay them holiday pay, sick pay or make provisions within the NHS Superannuation Scheme].

·         However, between 2005-6 and 2008-9 spend on locum doctors in Scotland doubled to £29m.

·         Tackling this unsustainable increase without compromising on the quality of service delivery was a priority for the NHS in Scotland, and it has now signed a groundbreaking, framework agreement with healthcare specialist Reed Doctor that will cut locum recruitment costs by approximately £7 million.

To drive down escalating temporary doctor staffing costs, while ensuring quality, National Procurement drew up a strict framework covering the supply of locum doctors to the 14 regional Health Boards1 in Scotland. As well as detailing the minimum and maximum pay rates recruitment agencies can charge for locums, the framework also sets out thorough vetting procedures that agencies have to undertake before supplying a locum. 

Following a rigorous and extremely competitive tender process, National Procurement selected Reed Doctor to be the first choice supplier of locum doctors to all 14 Health Boards when there is more than 72 hours notice before the start of a shift. Reed Doctor is also a preferred supplier when a locum is needed in less than 72 hours’ time.

This agreement came into force on 1st June 2010 and is set to save NHS Scotland up to £7 million. The contract lasts for an initial two-year period and there are two optional extensions, each for a further one year.

Katie Anderson, Divisional Manager for Reed Doctor Scotland commented:

“Our expertise in recruitment combined with a continually evolving database of highly skilled, fully compliant doctors across the medical spectrum makes Reed Doctor ideally placed to meet the diverse demands of  each Health Board, from Shetland to Greater Glasgow & Clyde.”

Under the terms of this agreement, any NHS hospital in Scotland after the 31st May who needs a locum doctor - either to work in general medicine or within a specialist department such as A&E, radiology, paediatrics or psychology – for a shift 72 hours or more in advance will first go to Reed Doctor to fill their staffing requirement.

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1 The 14 Health Boards in Scotland are: Shetland, Orkney, Western Islands, Highlands, Grampian, Ayrshire & Arron, Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, Tayside, Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lothian, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley and Fife.

About Reed

Founded in 1960, Reed is a specialist provider of permanent, contract, temporary and outsourced recruitment solutions, as well as IT and HR consulting. Reed operates in Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and has over 3,000 permanent employees working out of 350 offices across 30 specialisms.

Reed Learning is the UK's learning provider of the year; reed.co.uk is Europe's biggest jobsite and Reed In Partnership is one of the world's leading Welfare To Work providers.

For further press information please contact:

Adrian Linden

PR Manager

Reed Press Office

T; 0845 241 9249

E: press.office@reedglobal.com

www.reedpressoffice.co.uk

m: 07919 967 865

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