Agency List, Bank Pay Rates, & Spend, Clinical Staff

Reference: 24-25374

Date response sent: 03/12/2024

Details of enquiry

1. Bank Pay Rates: The pay rates for the workforce operating within Nursing, Midwifery, Theatres, and Mental Health, covering bands 2 to 8a. This can be the rate that all staff within the banding are paid or a minimum and maximum range, without specifying individual personnel.
2. List of Agencies: A list of agencies that are on the supply chain for the Trust within the aforementioned areas. Please highlight if any of these agencies are not on the selected framework for the Trust. Additionally, please provide information on how the Trust manages and monitors these agencies, including the criteria and processes an agency must meet to qualify for inclusion in the supply chain.
3. Spending Information: The total spending information for the period from January 2024 to November 2024. Please provide the spend on flexible staff as two separate categories: “Agency” and “Bank”.
4. Agency Staff Rates: Details of any agency staff working above the NHSI rates for the region, as outlined in the NHS England price card (<https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/price-card/>). Information required would be Discipline of worker, rate supplied at, department they work within, amount of shifts/hours worked within the Trust.
5. Agency Spend Management: Confirmation if the Trust uses any vendors to manage their agency spend, such as (but not limited to) NHSP, MSP, etc., or if the temporary recruitment is managed internally.
6. Budget Control Contact: The contact details of the person or department within the Trust who controls the budget for agency spend.
7. Procurement Process: Details on the procurement process for agencies to become approved suppliers for the Trust. This includes any application procedures, evaluation criteria, and timelines.
8. Future Opportunities: Information on any upcoming opportunities or tenders for agency supply within the Trust.
9. Performance Metrics: Any performance metrics or KPIs that the Trust uses to evaluate agency staff.
10. Onboarding Process: Information on the onboarding process for new agencies, and how they become a supplier to the Trust.

Response sent

1. Bank Pay Rates:

The following Maximum Cap rates were last updated for 2024/25 in October 2024.

Pan London AFC Rate Caps for Bank Staff 2024/25

Agreed AfC Pay Rate Caps 2023/24 – all Non-Medical Staff

2. List of Agencies in use:

1. Please highlight if any of these agencies are not on the selected framework for the Trust.

The Trust does not restrict itself to particular frameworks and we are free to chose from amongst those agencies who are signed up to an appropriate framework.

All agencies used are on-framework.

1. Additionally, please provide information on how the Trust manages and monitors these agencies, including the criteria and processes an agency must meet to qualify for inclusion in the supply chain.

The monitoring of Agencies is conducted informally, on a management by exception basis if/when any performance issues arise.

3. Spending Information: The total spending information for the period from January 2024 to November 2024. Please provide the spend on flexible staff as two separate categories: “Agency” and “Bank”.

Agency:    total spend Jan24 to Oct24 £1,130

Bank         total spend Jan24 to Oct24 £675

4. Agency Staff Rates: Details of any agency staff working above the NHSI rates for the region, as outlined in the NHS England price card (<https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/price-card/>). Information required would be Discipline of worker, rate supplied at, department they work within, amount of shifts/hours worked within the Trust.

None

5. Agency Spend Management: Confirmation if the Trust uses any vendors to manage their agency spend, such as (but not limited to) NHSP, MSP, etc., or if the temporary recruitment is managed internally.

Temporary Recruitment is managed internally, by the hiring department

6. Budget Control Contact: The contact details of the person or department within the Trust who controls the budget for agency spend.

There is no specific budget for agency spend, funding is taken from the hiring departments staffing costs

7. Procurement Process: Details on the procurement process for agencies to become approved suppliers for the Trust. This includes any application procedures, evaluation criteria, and timelines.

We only use on-framework agencies. The framework process pre-vets and pre-determines supplier’s range of services and price of service, and we select suppliers based on the framework user guidance, for example User-Guide-RM6281-Workforce-Alliance-Clinical-and-Healthcare-Staffing-Framework-FINAL.pdf (workforcealliance.nhs.uk)

The speed of response to our requirements and availability of candidates who meet the person specification. We would also consider quality of past performance for those suppliers whom we have previously used.

8. Future Opportunities: Information on any upcoming opportunities or tenders for agency supply within the Trust.

We do not hold this data

9. Performance Metrics: Any performance metrics or KPIs that the Trust uses to evaluate agency staff.

None. Management is informal and by department according to quality of service and quality of temporary staff.

10. Onboarding Process: Information on the onboarding process for new agencies, and how they become a supplier to the Trust.

Each framework has steps which specify how to approach contract award.

Selection is based on consideration of the rate card supplier skills, regions and branches matrix as supplied within the framework guidance User-Guide-RM6281-Workforce-Alliance-Clinical-and-Healthcare-Staffing-Framework-FINAL.pdf (workforcealliance.nhs.uk)

All contracts offered under frameworks have been competitively assessed by the framework provider for value for money and quality of services, and the Trust does comply with all framework guidelines when awarding direct contracts.