Agency and Contract Workers

Agency/Contract Workers are engaged to work for NHSBT via an employment Agency and are not on our payroll.  Placements should normally be for a period of 3 months or less to cover a short term need or whilst recruiting to a post and only when all other possible solutions have been exhausted.

You should first consider:

  • Could you reallocate duties and rosters to cover requirement from internal resource such as part-time staff?
  • Could you offer additional responsibilities to someone with capacity particularly if this might offer development opportunities
  • How long do the duties/role need to be covered for? If this is for 6 months or more have you attempted to fill this through the usual recruitment process?

You are responsible for managing the booking and selection processes. Agency/ Contract Workers must be booked through the preferred routes and the agency to contact will depend on the category of staff. Visit the relevant pages below:

  1. Managers and Specialist Contractors page (Band 7 and above)
  2. Admin, Clerical and Operational page (up to and including admin and clerical band 6)
  3. Qualified Scientists page (including SHTOs, Biomedical and Clinical Scientists)

How to book an agency/ contract worker is detailed under each category.

Note: NHSBT deems all contractors are inside of IR35.

The HMRC tool can be used to confirm this status - https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/check-employment-status-for-tax/setup

For any appeals against this treatment please supply a completed copy of the HMRC check of employment status and any additional information required to - tax.assurance@nhsbt.nhs.uk.

You may also want to consider the Guidance to alternative suppliers and the Clearances Checklist for Agency Contract Workers. Where an alternative supplier is being used or in booking qualified Scientists this will need to be booked via the i-procurement system, please refer to the Guidance to create an agency worker requisition document. 

Note: resourcing temporary Donor Carers and Nurses and on-boarding all types of contracts within these roles across Blood Donation has changed. Please refer to the Resourcing & Onboarding – Blood Collections page for the most up to date information.