Recruiters have been given until the beginning of August to ensure that all their agency staff are compliant with the requirements of the PASA (Purchasing & Supply Agency) non-clinical framework agreement.

Checks include testing for Hepatitis B even though many of the agency staff, such as clerical workers have no direct contact with patients.

Tom Hadley director of external relations at the REC (Recruitment & Employment Confederation), told Recruiter that the REC would use this period to contact all agencies who had tendered to  get feedback. “We need to ensure that all the checks are absolutely necessary and proportionate,” he says.

“Do admin staff with no contact with patients really need to have Hepatitis B checks,” he adds.

Recruiters will also be able to use the time to put contracts in place with occupational health specialists, he says.

Robert Carlin, managing director of occupational health specialist Healthier Business, told Recruiter that one of the big challenges was explaining to workers why the medical checks are necessary.

Hadley says the REC also intends to contact all those agencies who didn’t tender to find out whether there are any particular barriers for  these types of contracts, particularly for small firms. He says one reason that recruiters may be  put off is because they are non-medical recruiters not use to the tendering process  for PASA framework agreements, and all the paperwork involved.  Recruiters had until February 16 to tender.