NHS Staffing Frameworks: A Guide for Candidates

If you are a doctor who is looking to make their next UK career move, you may be wondering how to ensure that you are being represented by a reputable agency. This is an especially important consideration for international doctors who are relocating to the UK. One way to ensure that you are working with a trustworthy business is to check if they are on a recognised NHS framework.

What are NHS frameworks?

NHS Frameworks are lists of approved NHS suppliers. These lists are compiled by various trusted organisations who will vet each supplier to ensure that they meet various quality standards. NHS doctor agencies who wish to be approved by the framework must complete a stringent tendering process, which requires them to meet strict ethical criteria and to prove that they are of good financial standing. Most NHS hospitals and Trusts will only work with doctor recruitment agencies who appear on their preferred frameworks. Companies who are not framework approved are more likely to participate in poor business practices and may deviate from NHS Trust recruitment policies. This can have negative implications on the candidates they are representing and in extreme cases prevent candidates from being able to join their most desired locations in the NHS.

Why should I work with an agency that is recognised by a framework?

If you are working with an agency that provides UK doctor recruitment, it is important to ensure that they are approved by an NHS framework for the following reasons:

  • You will gain access to many more NHS Trust clients and hospitals
  • The company will have access to jobs at certain hospitals that others will not
  • The company is regulated and audited, unlike off-framework suppliers
  • To be on a framework you have to adhere to the NHS Code of Practice, which ensures that they are conducting ethical international recruitment
  • The company must commit to not charging the candidate in order to appear on the framework – they will take all fees from the NHS hospital clients

How can I be sure that I am working with an on-framework agency?

You should do proper due diligence before engaging with a doctor recruitment agency, especially if the agency is supporting you to move to the UK from abroad. If you are contacted by an agency recruiter, then it is good practice to ask them if they appear on an approved framework. Unfortunately, many of our recruiters have heard stories from candidates who have been told by an agency that they were on-framework, only to find out later that this wasn’t true. Therefore, you should always ask them which framework they are on and check this against the list of approved suppliers that each framework shares online. Remedium’s team can provide guidance with this if required.

Which frameworks are Remedium on?

We are fully compliant with and recognised by the following frameworks that govern NHS procurement:

Doctor Recruitment UK: Remedium will support you on your journey

Whether you are an international doctor who is considering starting a new career and life in the NHS, or you already have UK experience and are looking to advance your NHS career, Remedium can help. We’ve supported thousands of doctors from over 40 countries around the world to make the move to the UK and we pride ourselves on our integrity and our ethical approach to doctor recruitment.

If you are a doctor who is interested in taking your career to a new level in the NHS, register your details and upload your CV today to discuss how we can support you in your career journey.

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