Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consultation he has carried out with (a) NHS trusts, (b) NHS staff and (c) the public of his plans to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many expressions of interest he has received from potential joint venture partners in NHS Professionals; and what the names of those partners are.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what future contractual mechanisms he proposes to ensure that NHS Professionals meets the staffing needs of NHS trusts and delivers value for money to the taxpayer.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for selling a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.
Asked by: Heidi Alexander (Labour - Swindon South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress he has made on his plans to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Department announced its intention to sell a majority shareholding in NHS Professionals Ltd (NHSP) in November last year (2016). The Department received a number of expressions of interest following a successful Open Day and a number of responses to pre-qualification documents. The Department is currently in confidential commercial negotiations with interested bidders and cannot comment further on the nature or identity of bids.
The aim of this transaction is to ensure that NHSP has the technology, investment, skills and experience to grow for the benefit of both NHS patients and NHS staff. The staff ‘bank’ model works by offering NHS staff the opportunity voluntarily to undertake extra shifts. This enables staff to earn extra money, working in a familiar environment and within a predictable shift pattern. Bank staff are paid at a rate that is generally close to their permanent pay rate.
The key commercial feature of the potential transaction is that the Company must act to maintain a business model based on supplying high quality healthcare staff at low margins, to NHS clients. Breach of this principal would give the Department the right to repurchase its shares. The new majority shareholder would run and control the Company, but the minority stake retained by the Department would allow it to benefit from future increases in the value of the Company and also give the Department a seat on the board and oversight of its plans and operations.
In 2014 a stakeholder engagement process was undertaken by the Department and NHSP about the future of NHSP which involved talking to NHS trusts and various stakeholders in the Department of Health, NHS Employers and NHS Improvement.
NHS Professionals’ NHS clients, staff, representative unions, and registered NHS ‘bank workers’ have been kept advised of the potential sale process since its commencement in July 2016. Prior to the announcement in November 2016 on the intention to sell, an email was shared with all NHS Professionals staff explaining the nature of the process. This information was also shared with trades unions representing staff, with whom prior meetings had also been held.