With the newly published public health white paper indicating a radical overhaul in the way healthcare is managed and financed, it is clear that the roles of both private healthcare providers and healthcare recruitment agencies are likely to change significantly in the next five years.

With the future of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) now terminal (they are expected to be phased out by 2013), and power being decentralised instead into the hands of local authorities and GPs, the public health sector could potentially see a surge in demand for outsourced private skills and flexible staffing solutions, particularly as healthcare providers enter into a process of adjustment to accommodate the demands of the new system.

It is understood that the current administration is determined to usher in a paradigm shift away from the waiting time target-driven healthcare culture of recent years towards a system that places more priority on clinical effectiveness and patient feedback. The government says that the emphasis is to be placed firmly on streamlining and this, in turn, means healthcare providers striving to recruit the very best doctors and nurses for both temporary and permanent roles.

Healthcare recruitment agencies that are able to accommodate the needs of this changing system and work effectively alongside it will stand to benefit. In addition, the GP-led structure will require specialist skills and the recruitment of those with the most in-depth knowledge of the sector.

Ultimately, the planned cuts to NHS management in order to reduce the existing multi-million pound healthcare debt burden are designed to gear the system into putting more resources into front-line staffing. It is perceived that the number of people employed by the NHS will be substantially fewer in the coming years but the clear aim is to create an efficient and consistent service in which patient care is paramount. In terms of healthcare recruitment, this means an increased drive towards sourcing the best possible candidates for short-term and long-term positions while continuing to offer flexible, case-specific solutions that the new GP-led structure can depend on when necessary.