Latest NHS sickness absence statistics - September 2017

The latest figures released by NHS Digital show that for September 2017 NHS staff sickness absence was 3.99 per cent, which is the same as it was in September 2016.

Recruiting from your community

Three podcasts from NHS Employers on recruitment:

• Recruiting from your community - episode one
• Engaging with and recruiting from your local community - episode two
• Recruiting from your local community episode three

Transferring apprenticeship levy funds

From April 2018, levy-paying employers will be able to transfer funds to other employers, through their apprenticeship service account.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has confirmed that employers will be able to transfer up to 10 per cent of the annual value of fund to any employer, including smaller employers in their supply chain, and apprenticeship training agencies.

Employers receiving transferred funds will only be able to use them to pay for training and assessment for apprenticeship standards. They will not be able to use them to pay for training and assessment delivered against apprenticeship frameworks.

Sponsorship guidance for migrants updated (Tiers 2 and 5)

The Tier 2 and Tier 5 guidance for sponsors has been updated following the publication of the UK immigration rule changes. 

This guidance is to be used for all Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsor licence applications made and certificates of sponsorship (CoS) assigned, on or after 11 January 2018.

Office of Health economics briefing on agency staff in the NHS

NHS Agency Staffing and the Impact of Recent Interventions, by Chris Mullin. OHE Seminar Briefing 22, January 2018


This seminar focuses on the NHS staffing markets and the use of temporary staff, specifically in the NHS provider sector, i.e. foundation trusts1 and NHS trust. (which include hospitals). To provide background and context, the discussion begins with an overview of the NHS labour market and the role of staffing agencies in providing temporary staff. The core of the seminar is an examination of previous strong growth in expenditure on such staffing, particularly during the early part of this decade; the effects to date of government intervention to address that spending; and possible lessons for other sectors from the limited evidence now available.


PDF of the complete briefing is available at https://www.ohe.org/system/files/private/publications/Mullins%20Seminar%20Briefing.pdf

Latest NHS sickness absence statistics - August 2017

The latest figures released by NHS Digital show that NHS staff sickness absence remained the same at 3.92 per cent in August 2016, compared to 3.92 per cent in August 2015.

Briefing on rotational posts published

NHS Employers has published a new briefing document exploring how rotational posts can be an effective response to the challenges faced by employers in attracting and retaining staff.

It looks at the need to be innovative with workforce supply strategies to attract, develop and retain staff, and how this can be done through rotating substantive staff into different departments, organisations, or across a range of organisations.

Programme launched to support AHPs and healthcare scientists to return to practice

The Department of Health, in collaboration with Health Education England (HEE), has launched a new initiative to support allied health professionals (AHP) and healthcare scientists (HCS) return to practice.

 It supports AHPs and HCSs whose registration has lapsed or for those who have not registered for over five years since qualifying. Upon completion, this programme will allow them to return to the register.

International recruitment quick guides updated

NHS Employers has updated its range of quick guides on international recruitment.

This resource is designed to help employers identify the right tier for different professions when recruiting individuals from outside of the UK that require a sponsor to work in the UK.

Immigration and the Tier 2 recruitment process
This guide sets out the recruitment process that an employer should follow to meet the Home Office UK Visas and Immigraion (UKVI) requirements to sponsor migrants under Tier 2 (General) of the points-based system.

Step-by-step guide to applying for certificates of sponsorship (CoS)
This step-by-step guide highlights the differences between the unrestricted and restricted certificates of sponsorship and the process that employers should use when applying for them.

NHS Improvement publishes retention guide

To support employer organisations with retaining staff, NHS Improvement has published Retaining your staff: a practical guide.

Changes to data protection requirements under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

This factsheet from NHS Employers, developed in conjunction with Capsticks, outlines the key changes that will affect the way that employers in NHS organisations carry out tasks involving personal data, particularly around employment checks and recruitment processes.

Evaluating reward guide and template

NHS Employers' step by step guide to evaluating reward will help you understand and demonstrate the impact of your reward approach. It also helps you test your activities, improve communication and identify and replicate good practice.

The guide looks at the steps to consider when planning your evaluation and includes some examples of measurable outputs, ideas of activities and a template evaluation plan for you to use.

Supporting staff retention with reward

In this NHS Employers' case study, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust shares how they used their reward offer to improve staff retention, reduce agency and temporary staff spend and re-engaged the workforce.

Retention: Showcasing Best Practice, Celebrating success and Looking to the Future

On 5 December 2017, NHS Employers hosted an event, Retention: Showcasing Best Practice, Celebrating success and Looking to the Future.

As part of the event, trusts presented on their key successes in the rollout of retention strategies to improve staff leaver and turnover rates. These included:

• Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Quality criteria for apprenticeships announced

The Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) has published a quality statement defining what constitutes a high quality apprenticeship, and will use this to develop a quality strategy.

New guide to degree apprenticeships

NHS Employers has produced a great new guide looking at degree apprenticeships and the range of benefits they bring to NHS organisations.

It  offers advice and tips around degree level apprenticeships and explains the opportunities they offer to support and develop career paths in the NHS, and includes examples from other sectors, which NHS organisations can learn from, and may help employers to maximise how they use the apprenticeship levy.


4 December - NHS Employers has refreshed and published an updated version of the Guide to degree apprenticeships: What employers need to know

Language Competency Good Practice Guidance for Employers

This guidance, from NHS Employers, outlines the importance of English language competency assessment to help NHS organisations enhance any existing protocols and support employers to effectively assess language competency where appropriate.

The language competency good practice guide has been updated to ensure additional clarity for employers.

Latest NHS sickness absence statistics - July 2017

The latest figures released by NHS Digital show that for July 2017 NHS staff sickness absence was 4.01 per cent.

Managers endorse CSP’s flexible working guide

The Building a better balance guide, already available to stewards, has been re-issued by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists with specific guidance for managers dealing with requests for flexible working.

New case study on how to run a successful recruitment fair

NHS Employers has published a new case study focusing on how Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust successfully ran a recruitment day to increase its nursing and health care assistant workforce.

The study looks at how the trust targeted nurses wanting to return to practice in the NHS, as well as more traditional groups such as nurses in training. The organisation reached out to experienced nurses working outside of the NHS through a variety of communications channels to secure over 160 attendees at their event. They interviewed 110 people leading to 95 job offers to both registered nurses and healthcare assistants.