HCL Welcomes Government Proposals For More Flexible NHS, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 02 Jul 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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HCL plc, the UK's largest health and social care recruitment agency, said the Government's proposals to reform the NHS by devolving power to frontline professionals and patients will mean a greater need for flexible staffing and more collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The Government strategy document "Building Britain's Future", outlines proposals to reduce bureaucracy in the NHS and give patients enforceable rights to high standards of care. The proposals include Personal Health Budgets, faster access to hospital treatment and "clear redress mechanisms" if those entitlements were not met - including the right to request an immediate appointment at another hospital if their local one has no capacity.

HCL said that these measures will make it harder for hospital managers to plan patient numbers month on month and thus lead to greater flexible staffing requirements as hospitals need to staff up and staff down quickly to cope with greater patient churn.

Kate Bleasdale, Executive Vice Chairman of HCL, said:

"We welcome a move away from the top down targets culture to a culture of entitlement that gives more power to frontline professionals. These new proposals pave the way for a more innovative and collaborative partnership between the public and private sectors, particularly in staffing where it is important to maintain the right balance of permanent and flexible healthcare staff to meet the fluctuating needs of the local population.

"HCL has close and long-standing relationships with many of the UK's leading hospitals and we understand that each one's culture and needs are different. We are committed to working hand in hand with NHS Trusts to ensure that their staffing needs continue to be met, to help them achieve greater efficiency and most importantly ensure faster treatment and better outcomes for patients."

Source
HCL plc