Latest News
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NHSP announcement vindicates role of agencies, says REC
The Department of Health (DoH) has announced its intention to explore options with the private sector for potential investment in NHS Professionals (NHSP) – the organisation that was initially set up as an in-house provider of flexible staff within the NHS. Underlining the significance of the announcement, Tom Hadley, the REC’s Director of External Relations...
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Profession welcomes major NHS shake-up
Proposals for a major shake-up of the NHS in England were revealed by the coalition government last week. A white paper announced by health secretary Andrew Lansley aims to introduce a national independent NHS Commissioning Board to commission services such as primary ophthalmic provision. Responsibility for spending the budget and the implementation of services will...
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Overseas pharmacists should check UK-working status
Overseas pharmacists should assess whether they are eligible for permanent residence in the UK or British citizenship in order to continue working in the UK, following changes to Immigration Rules that came into effect on 19 July 2010, an immigration lawyer has advised. In line with the coalition Government’s intention to reduce overall net migration,...
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Ministers delay meeting on NHS pharmacist recruitment problems
Ministers have turned down a request to meet to discuss the recruitment and retention of junior pharmacists, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, has revealed. A meeting with pharmacy minister Earl Howe was sought by the GHP’s parent union Unite to discuss the problems the NHS is facing with attracting junior pharmacists to band 6 and...
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NHS shake-up ‘hands funding powers to GPs’
GP practices are set to be handed responsibility for most health services under ministerial plans for a radical shake-up of the NHS in England. Local trusts and strategic health authorities would be sharply scaled back to make way for their new role. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley believes GPs are best placed to understand patients’ needs...
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Government pensions announcement is big win for the recruitment industry, says REC
The coalition Government has today announced that it would be reviewing the implementation of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions. This is a significant development for the industry and comes after months of REC lobbying to highlight the practical and cost issues that auto-enrolment raises for providers of temporary and contract staff. Announcing the review earlier...
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Healthcare recruiters must provide ‘value for money’, says Bupa
As healthcare sector budgets come under increasing scrutiny, recruiters have been urged to provide ‘value for money’ by Nichola Hooper, national resourcing manager at Bupa Care Services. New health secretary Andrew Lansley has announced plans for family doctors to be forced to take back responsibility for out-of-hours care. Budgetary responsibility would then be handed back...
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Campaign to tackle staff levels for new services
A campaign to ensure adequate staffing levels are part of the framework for new pharmacy services is being launched by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s English Pharmacy Board (EPB), as part of its drive to tackle workplace pressure. Howard Duff, the Society’s director for England, told PJ Online: “Often new services are thrown in on top...
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Pharmacists fear for job security
Lack of job security remains a major worry for pharmacists, the C+D and PDA Union Salary Survey 2010 has found. Over one third of respondents said they felt either a little less or a lot less secure in their jobs than they had last year. Employees at independent pharmacies felt they had the least job...
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REC JobsOutlook shows surge in employer confidence
More than nine in 10 (96%) of employers say they now expect their permanent workforces to remain static or grow within the next quarter, up 2% on last month, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) April JobsOutlook. The survey of 200 employers also shows 86% expect their use of agency workers to grow...
