New contractual relationships in the agency worker market: the case of the UKs National Health Service
Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 17, Issue 2
Hoque K. , Kirkpatrick I. , , De Ruyter A. and , Lonsdale C. British Journal of Industrial Relations (UK), September 2008, Vol. 46 No. 3, Start page: 389, No. of pages: 24
Purpose – assesses whether the closer contractual relationships that have developed between the UK’s NHS and employment agencies has benefited the NHS trusts by enabling them to control costs and increase the quality of the temporary agency workers placed with them. Design/methodology/approach –based on 49 interviews with managers at 24 NHS acute trusts, 23 temporary work agencies and national NHS organizations, looks at the contractual relationships that have been developed between the agencies and evaluates their impact. In particular, looks whether the new arrangements reduced NHS labour costs and improved the match of the agency workers placed with the trusts. Findings– concludes that the new arrangements have reduced the costs by reducing agency fees. However suggests that the impact on the quality of the placements may not be straightforward as the cost pressures on the agencies has lead to them having to maximize the number of placements they achieve with the trusts. Sees this as leading to a “mass production” approach to the placements that could compromise their quality and, consequently, undermine the economic case for them. Research limitations/implications – describes the research methods and the analysis. Originality/value – offers a more complex picture of the costs and benefits of these new contractual relationships.ISSN: 0007-1080Reference: 37AU084
Keywords: Employers, Supplier relations, Labour costs,Service quality, National Health Service, United Kingdom
