NHS Employers signs contract with Department of Health

NHS Employers is pleased to announce that it has signed a new contract with the Department of Health to ensure we continue our core work, including supporting employers to meet the challenges of the difficult financial period that lies ahead.

Nigel Edwards, NHS Confederation acting chief executive said: “Signing a new contract with the Department of Health is excellent news and demonstrates confidence in NHS Employers as an organisation capable of delivering high quality services. We look forward to working with both the Department of Health and staff side partners in delivering services for the NHS that help organisations meet their workforce challenges in the next few years.”

The core contract will be worth £11.7 million in its first year and broadly reflects the work NHS Employers currently does, including:

• managing negotiations on pay, pensions and primary care contracting;
• providing support and tools for employers on health and well-being
• workforce capacity and flexibility
• medical education and training
• professional standards and regulation
• equality, diversity and human rights
• staff and employer engagement
• the Social Partnership Forum
• communications

The exceptions to the content of the contract relate to NHS Jobs, NHS Careers and our European workforce programme.

NHS Employers have been asked to continue to provide the NHS Careers service until March 2011, while the Department of Health reviews the current service and develops a new specification for a formal tender. NHS Employers will no longer be leading on workforce issues at a European level and this work will be included in the remit of the NHS European office, which is part of the NHS Confederation.

There is currently a competitive tendering exercise underway to identify a provider for the NHS Jobs service from next year. In the interim, NHS Employers will continue to offer the existing NHS Jobs service to the NHS, free at the point of use, and we are working closely with the Department of Health to ensure it is delivered effectively until a tender is agreed, which we expect to be in the second half of 2010-2011.

NHS Employers is committed to continued work with employers in the NHS to ensure we are delivering the services they need.