Media centre

Press release: NHS Employers publishes revised list of agencies for overseas recruitment

03 Jan 2006

NHS Employers has published today an updated list of agencies that have signed up to the Code of Practice on international recruitment.

The code was revised in December 2004 to include recruitment of temporary and locum healthcare professionals as well as permanent staff and to enable the independent sector to sign up to the principles. The updated list of agencies follows a review to ensure that all agencies on the list are compliant with the revised code.

Foluke Ajayi, head of NHS Careers, said today:

"The list helps NHS organisations that want to recruit from overseas to find agencies who will recruit according to the code.  For the majority of agencies we have included a couple of referees who are able to confirm that the agency operates in accordance with the code.  We have also included additional information about the agencies so that employers can see which agencies recruit to the independent sector, whether the agency recruits domestic and/or international staff and whether the agency recruits permanent and/or locum staff".

All agencies on the original list were contacted and asked to fill in a questionnaire to confirm their agreement to fully comply with the revised Code of Practice.  The updated list represents the agencies which were found to be compliant. 

Agencies were asked to provide two references from NHS organisations that have used their services and could confirm that the agency operates in accordance with the Code of Practice.

Agencies that could not provide a reference as they are yet to establish themselves in the market or they are new to the NHS are placed in alphabetical order on a second list.

Notes for editors

1. The list of agencies is available at http://www.nhsemployers.org/workforce/workforce-559.cfm  
2. The Department of Health's Code of Practice for NHS employers involved in the international recruitment of healthcare professionals was first published in October 2001 and was revised in December 2004 to include recruitment of temporary/locum healthcare professionals as well as permanent staff and to enable the independent sector to sign up to the principles.
3. The code identifies guiding principles to promote high standards in the recruitment and employment of healthcare professionals from overseas. It is also concerned with the protection of developing countries and seeks to prevent targeted recruitment from developing nations who are experiencing shortages of healthcare staff.
4. The Code of Practice offers guidelines for NHS employers contracting with commercial recruitment agencies. It commends NHS organisations to use only those recruiting agencies that adhere to the principles underpinning the Code of Practice.
5. NHS Employers is responsible for the implementation of the Code of Practice and managing the list of commercial agencies that adhere to the code. NHS Employers also provides a dedicated advice and support service to NHS organisations to help them to follow the guiding principals of the code in all their recruitment activities.

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Gemma Jeffcoate
  0207 074 3308 or gemma.jeffcoate@nhsemployers.org  
• Emma Stafford
  0207 074 3307 or emma.stafford@nhsemployers.org  

For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726.

Back to media centre