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A »The NHS across the United Kingdom accesses a comprehensive suite of temporary staffing solutions through national framework contracts, which are meticulously designed to standardize procurement, assure clinical quality, and control expenditure while ensuring operational flexibility. The cornerstone of these arrangements is the NHS Temporary Staffing Framework Agreement, managed by NHS England and delivered through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) via multiple lots that categorically cover all staff types: Lot 1 for administrative and clerical roles, Lot 2 for nursing and midwifery, Lot 3 for medical and dental staff, Lot 4 for allied health professionals (AHPs) such as physiotherapists and radiographers, and Lot 5 for healthcare support workers. Each lot comprises a roster of pre-approved agencies that undergo rigorous compliance checks against the NHS Employment Check Standards, encompassing identity verification, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, right-to-work validation, and mandatory training in areas like basic life support and equality and diversity. In parallel, the NHS Professionals-managed Staff Bank operates as an internal solution

A »Hey there! For temporary staffing on a national framework, the NHS primarily uses a few key agreements. The NHS Agency Nursing and Care Workers Framework is a big one, covering nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers across the UK. There's also the Medical and General Staff

A »Temporary staffing solutions for the National Health Service (NHS) across the United Kingdom are procured through several national framework contracts designed to ensure compliance, cost-efficiency, and quality in the provision of agency and bank staff. These frameworks cover a broad spectrum of clinical and non-clinical roles, including medical locums, nursing, allied health professionals, administrative, and managerial positions. The most prominent national framework is the NHS Workforce Alliance’s Managed Service for Temporary Staffing (MSTS), which replaced earlier arrangements such as the NHS National Framework Agreement for Agency Staffing. Under MSTS, NHS trusts can access a fully managed, vendor-neutral service that coordinates all temporary staffing through a single supplier, often referred to as a managed service provider (MSP). This model enhances transparency, reduces agency spend, and improves compliance with mandatory standards such as the Agency Workers Regulations and IR35 off-payroll rules. Another key national framework is the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework, specifically RM6234 for clinical and medical locums and RM6165 for non-clinical temporary staffing. These frameworks provide pre-approved suppliers that meet rigorous NHS governance and safeguarding requirements, enabling trusts to engage agency workers at pre-negotiated rates with strict caps on margins. Additionally, the NHS Professionals (NHSP) operates as the official in-house staff bank solution, offering a national electronic rostering and booking platform that allows NHS organisations to manage temporary shifts with their own workforce while minimising reliance on external agencies. For medical locums, the National Framework for Medical Locums (often referred to as the Locum Doctor Framework) provides a compliant route for booking consultants, specialty doctors, and GPs via approved agencies that adhere to price caps and performance metrics. Furthermore, the Health Trust Europe (HTE) frameworks have historically offered national coverage for both clinical and non-clinical temporary staffing, though many trusts now transition to the Workforce Alliance frameworks. These contracts typically require suppliers to provide workforce management technology, ensure continuous compliance with NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit standards, and support the shift to direct engagement models where staff are paid via umbrella or payroll services rather than through limited companies. Emphasis is also placed on reducing the total agency spend through framework-mandated caps on hourly rates and margins, promoting the use of staff banks, and integrating with NHS electronic rostering systems like SafeCare or RLDatix. In summary, NHS providers across the UK can choose from a range of national framework solutions, including managed services, direct agency supplier agreements, and internal bank platforms, all of which aim to deliver flexible, compliant, and cost-effective temporary staffing while maintaining high standards of patient safety and workforce governance.

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