Two leaders in the public sector and NHS procurement join forces

The Workforce Alliance sees Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and NHS Procurement in Partnership (NHS PiP) coming together to deliver a portfolio of health workforce services, for the benefit of customers and suppliers. Plans for this partnership are progressing well with 3 frameworks already launched under the new collaboration:

• The International Recruitment Framework was the first to be launched to support the NHS and the public sector in its future recruitment strategies. The framework is in response to, and aligned with, recommendations set out for international recruitment in the NHS Long Term Plan and the NHS Interim People Plan.
• Flexible Resource Pool - Staff Bank Framework is also live, and provides the ability to build a flexible staff bank for both clinical and non-clinical temporary staff. Whilst this is largely for the NHS, access to the framework and its services is available to the whole of the public sector. The framework offers a wide choice of suppliers, from small regional businesses to national operators. You may be interested to know that this framework is the first of its kind to ensure pre-employment assurance is undertaken against NHS Employers Check Standards, for all workers employed by an outsourced bank.
• The Non-Clinical Temporary and Fixed-Term Staff framework agreement launched in July 2019. This replaced the previous CCS Non-Medical Non-Clinical framework and provides access to competitive pricing, with the ability to better use fixed-term appointments and statement of work. It continues to ensure non-clinical workers are subject to NHS Employers check standards. 

A fourth framework National Clinical and Healthcare Staffing Framework will go out to tender in mid-August this year. It will provide high quality, temporary, permanent, and fixed-term clinical and healthcare staffing services. It will replace the CCS Multidisciplinary Temporary Healthcare Personnel and the NHS Procurement in Partnership National Clinical Staffing frameworks.

A Workforce Alliance Executive Board has been established with representation from all the partner organisations.  “We are delighted to be working together in support of our joint ambition for a sustainable NHS workforce model. The collection of expertise, resources and geographical reach across the alliance brings a willingness to listen and to work in partnership to benefit our customers across the NHS and the wider public sector.”