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NHS: Foreign Workers

Volume 508: debated on Monday 22 March 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an assessment of the effects on the number of jobs in the NHS of the outsourcing of finance departments to SBS Solutions in India. (323025)

The Department does not hold data on the number of jobs in the national health service that are released when finance and accounting functions are outsourced to NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS). It is the responsibility of each trust when moving these functions to NHS SBS to determine the number of posts required following outsourcing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many private recruitment agencies recruited health workers from Africa for work in the NHS prior to the introduction of the NHS Code of Practice on International Recruitment; how many have done so since its introduction; and if he will make a statement; (323319)

(2) how many health workers from Africa were employed in the NHS immediately prior to the introduction of the NHS Code of Practice on International Recruitment; how many have been so employed since its introduction; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) enforce compliance with the NHS Code of Practice on International Recruitment; and if he will make a statement.

There is no centrally held information on the country of origin of health-workers.

It is not known how many agencies have recruited specifically from Africa since 2001. The number of British private recruitment agencies registered with the NHS Code of Practice in August 2005, when records began, was 256 this rose to 531 in January 2010.

NHS Employers is responsible for the management, promotion, advice and guidance on international recruitment.