NHS Workforce Alliance

NHS Workforce Alliance     

We are a value-adding NHS resource that supports NHS leaders and operational teams in all aspects of workforce planning and management at no direct cost to the NHS.

Unrivalled workforce support

The Alliance is a partnership between Crown Commercial Service and the four NHS-owned and operated collaborative procurement hubs. We have been working together since 2019 to combine our experience and expertise for the benefit of the NHS.

The five NHS Workforce Alliance partners are:

• NHS Commercial Solutions – hosted by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub – hosted by West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
• NHS London Procurement Partnership – hosted by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
• NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative – hosted by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Crown Commercial Service

Through our dedicated regional teams, we provide flexible and tailored support to all NHS trusts in England to deliver both strategic and operational workforce support to meet local needs. Nationally, we work closely with NHS England and ICS leaders, using our experience, data and insights to deliver and develop workforce strategies at trust, ICS, regional and national levels.

Commercial agreements and workforce management advice

While we are most frequently associated with our framework agreements for staff bank, international recruitment, and clinical and non-clinical agency staff, our experience extends far beyond procurement. Our advice and support cover the full range of workforce challenges including recruitment, retention, flexible and temporary staffing, and overall workforce development.

• Commercial framework agreements:  Our frameworks offer NHS organisations a compliant route to market with pre-qualified suppliers. All approved suppliers have been rigorously assessed to successfully meet NHS requirements based on quality, social value and commercial criteria. Utilising Alliance frameworks reduces both procurement time and cost for the NHS. View all Alliance frameworks.
• Workforce advice or operational support: We offer both consultation or hands-on support, leveraging our extensive knowledge in procurement, contract management and supplier markets. Our innovative solutions address workforce challenges with evidence-based strategies, utilising vast quantities of data collected from hundreds of suppliers each month. View all Alliance services.

No cost access to our services

We are not for profit. We do not charge the NHS for the use of our services. Our commercial agreements and workforce management advice are available to the NHS (and wider public sector) to access at no cost. We are funded through a supplier levy, re-investing any surplus back into the NHS. Funds generated by utilising Alliance frameworks remain within the NHS and help improve patient services.