Advisers to the Department of Health have given bidders until Friday to submit an offer for a majority stake in NHS Professionals, the staffing agency that supplies 90,000 doctors and nurses to hospitals across the UK. Companies expected to table bids include recruitment agency Hays, outsourcing giants Healthcare Locums and Serco, along with financial investors, such as Aurelius Equity Opportunities, according to sources in Whitehall. Bids are expected to value NHS Professionals at about £50m and to be for a 70% stake, with the government retaining a minority share. The move is likely to anger some senior civil servants, who fear it will lead to more privatisation of services they say should remain under public control.
Advisers to the Department of Health have given bidders until Friday to submit an offer for a majority stake in NHS Professionals, the staffing agency that supplies 90,000 doctors and nurses to hospitals across the UK. Companies expected to table bids include recruitment agency Hays, outsourcing giants Healthcare Locums and Serco, along with financial investors, such as Aurelius Equity Opportunities, according to sources in Whitehall. Bids are expected to value NHS Professionals at about £50m and to be for a 70% stake, with the government retaining a minority share. The sale is being overseen by accountants Deloitte.