The head of resourcing at BUPA care services has urged health care recruitment agencies to provide 'value for money' in the coming years of public funding austerity.

In the face of future budget cuts to public spending on health care, providers are expected to make unprecedented use of recruitment agencies to fill physiotherapy jobs and other specialist roles. Plans recently announced by the new health secretary Andrew Lansley suggest that a new funding system will see more temporary roles commissioned by GPs as needed, rather than approved by primary care trusts.

Nichola Hooper told Recruiter magazine this month that recruitment agencies should provide "value for money" in sourcing people in occupational therapy jobs and other specialist roles beyond general care. Speaking in the magazines 'Healthcare Sector focus' in the May edition, Hooper said that recruiters should consider entering into long term partnerships with providers, moving away from practises such as sending in speculative CVs in favour of more direct communication.

Hooper's comments have been supported by spokesmen from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), who agree that the REC's members have a crucial role in providing a "cost effective" staffing solution.

The REC's director of external relations, Tom Hadley, says: "Locum doctors and other temporary staff provide crucial front line services and their contributions must not be marginalised, especially as working time rules now place strict limits on individual GP working hours."

"Despite the focus on new rota systems, specialised recruitment agencies, will continue to provide a cost effective means of ensuring that the right staff are in the right place at the right time."