PULSE News

International healthcare staffing agency pulse wins hotly contested ‘excellence’ award!

June 9th, 2009

PULSE, a leading provider of healthcare staffing solutions, has been announced as Staffing Agency of the Year at this year’s Health Investor Awards. PULSE competed against stiff competition from four other well-known staffing agencies – all top of a sector that is bucking the downturn trend.

PULSE is now the fastest growing company placing highly-skilled health and social care professionals in temporary and permanent jobs, world-wide.

Health Investor Award judges said:

”PULSE has expanded astonishingly quickly in 2008 to become one of the biggest players in the market. It is improving quality in a very testing market where there is strong competition from a public sector alternative, offering broader options to Trusts which are seeking more flexibility in their workforce.”

Commenting on the win, CEO of Pulse, Richard MacMillan says:

“We are delighted to have won this award. We believe a large reason for such a successful year is down to the services that we offer above and beyond the average staffing agency across a diverse range of health and social care clients. In 2008, we grew our international business and launched our new brand PULSEBank, delivering safe, value for money flexible staffing arrangements to NHS Trusts. We are also investing in our web presence; pulsejobs.com now attracts over 80,000 visitors every month and provides new and efficient web services to clients.

“There is a growing recognition that flexible staff offer a cost effective way of optimising the workforce and increased demand for staff is being driven by government initiatives resulting from the EU Working Time Regulations and the worldwide shortage of skilled healthcare staff making the long term prospects of PULSE extremely strong."

The Health Investor Awards promote excellence and recognise innovation in the healthcare sector.

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust Celebrates PULSE Bank Success on International Nurses Day

12th May 2009, London

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is today celebrating the first anniversary of its bank management contract for St Mary’s and Western Eye hospital sites with specialist healthcare staffing provider PULSE, on International Nurses’ Day.

International Nurses’ Day celebrates the vital contribution that nurses make to improving the quality of care, patient experience, health outcomes and the delivery of health services.

PULSE was awarded the contract by the St Mary’s and Western Eye sites at Imperial last year to provide temporary cover to fill increases in demand for nursing staff and midwives. To celebrate the success of the service, PULSEBank is holding a series of recruitment sessions on International Nurses’ Day and will be donating £20 to Trust charity - Friends of St Mary’s - for each nurse who registers with PULSE on the day. The money raised will support the staff of the hospitals in maintaining the highest standards of care through investment in patient facilities, training, research and innovative therapies.

PULSEBank makes the process of booking shifts for both staff and nurses easier by offering an electronic end-to-end solution. All staff registered to the Bank are fully security checked and receive mandatory training to ensure that only competent and qualified professionals are responsible for the treatment of patients. Users of the system at the St Mary’s and Western Eye hospital sites at Imperial have access to a large pool of staff and are able to narrow their search by individual candidate, specialism or availability.

Instant access to healthcare professionals provided by PULSEBank make it easier for the Trust to manage their nurse staffing arrangements and plan ahead, minimising disruption to services caused by staff shortages. Around two thirds of recruits on the Bank are nurses, midwives or healthcare assistants who are already employed on a permanent basis at the Trust but are helping meet patient waiting targets by signing up for extra shifts during busy periods.

Jenny Parr, Associate Director of Nursing Workforce said: “We are a huge, busy organisation and temporary staff are a vital part of our staffing resource. They help maintain flexibility and support services when demand is at a peak. PULSE has provided a very reliable service in the past year and continue to build on performance and even more of our staff have signed up to undertake temporary shifts, if and when needed. But there is a need to constantly recruit, as our services become busier and busier."

Steve Twelftree, contract director at PULSE said: “We have developed a real partnership with the Trust over the last year and look forward to continuing this relationship moving forward. We are proud to mark our first anniversary and to celebrate International Nurses’ Day, we will be donating £20 to the nominated charity for each nurse who registers with us through PULSEBank on that day.”

Commenting on PULSEBank, Twelftree continues:

“NHS Trusts face considerable pressures to achieve high standards of temporary staffing services. PULSE understands the recruitment challenges faced by the NHS and is committed to developing solutions to simplify the process of booking temporary staff. As well as ensuring that only competent and qualified staff treat patients the bank offers significant savings which can be ploughed back into healthcare services for the benefit of patients.”

Specialist staffing agency PULSE launches new engineering division

Specialist staffing agency PULSE has launched a new division dedicated to providing staffing solutions to the engineering sector.

The company’s new engineering division will offer candidates a range of positions from specialist technical roles such as professional Technical, Electronic, FMCG and Food engineers with commercial experience across the aerospace, defence, medical devices, FMCG, Food & Drink and other industries.

PULSE’s commitment to excellence and its proven ability to place highly skilled professionals in niche markets will also provide a key resource to employers who need to fill roles in this dynamic sector.

Richard MacMillan, CEO of PULSE comments:

“The launch of the engineering division is part of a wider diversification strategy built around high-growth business areas and will offer innovative staffing solutions to employers and candidates in the engineering sector.

“Whilst the UK labour market is generally in decline, the demand for professional skilled engineering staff to fill specialist technical roles is one of the few sectors where jobs still remain in both the private and public sectors. We look forward to building on the success of our scientific division and expect growth in the engineering sector in the longer term”

To support candidates in making the right decisions to achieve career success, PULSE has developed a new section on their site http://www.pulsejobs.com/uk/engineering/ In addition to the job search function; the engineering page will offer career advice to candidates including tips on CV preparation and interview techniques.

Dianne Ward, Head of Scientific & Engineering Recruitment for PULSE comments:

“Whilst the jobs market has become more competitive in the current economic climate, there are still opportunities out there for skilled engineering professionals.

“With this in mind, there has never been a more important time for candidates to really work hard at promoting their skills and experience. We work closely with our candidates to find suitable placements and support their career goals and the new site will offer advice to candidates on how to stand out from the crowd.”

Specialist healthcare staffing agency PULSE wins place in The Sunday Times list of 100 best companies to work for in 2009

Specialist healthcare staffing agency PULSE, has been awarded a place in The Sunday Times list of the 100 best companies to work for in 2009.

The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies Award recognises best practice in workplace management and identifies the top 100 companies to work for in the UK based on employee satisfaction. PULSE received Best Companies accreditation and competed against more than 300 businesses to achieve its place.

PULSE successfully passed the assessment of their performance in five key areas; leadership, internal communication, corporate social responsibility, employee welfare and professional development. During the judging process, PULSE employees were also interviewed on the values, principles and vision of the company. Satisfaction levels on workplace issues, management, pay and benefits were also assessed.

One of the key initiatives that led to PULSE’s inclusion in the top 100 companies list was the company’s commitment to recognising outstanding contributions in the workplace. The company hosts a variety of individual and team awards which recognise and reward success. The accolade was also awarded on the strength of PULSE’s flexible benefits package which includes subsidised sports activities, extra holiday entitlement and child care vouchers. In addition, PULSE is committed to the personal development of their staff and offers individual training programmes to each of its employees.

Richard MacMillan, chief executive of PULSE, comments:

“We are delighted to have received national recognition as one of the best companies to work for in the UK. This is the first time PULSE has entered the award and our success is testament to our commitment to professional development, corporate social responsibility and the welfare of our employees."

“Employee engagement is something that we view as being key to our success. PULSE has achieved 40% growth in the last year and we have increased our workforce by 20% as a result, becoming the fastest growing staffing agency in the healthcare sector. None of this could have been achieved without the hard work and support of our employees."

International Healthcase staffing agency PULSE shortlisted for industry excellence award

London, UK – February 16th, 2008 – PULSE, a leading provider of healthcare recruitment solutions, has been shortlisted in the prestigious Health Investor Awards. The specialist healthcare staffing agency, is competing against four other shortlisted recruitment agencies for the Staffing Agency of the Year Award.

PULSE is one of the leading healthcare recruitment agencies, supplying highly-skilled health and social care workers throughout the UK. With a track record of year-on-growth and history of success, PULSE is now the fastest growing company in its sector. With extensive UK and international operations, PULSE places specialist professionals in temporary and permanent jobs, world-wide. PULSE is ranked in the top three by market share across each clinical discipline, and has a developing reputation in the social care and scientific sectors. In addition to sophisticated staffing solutions, PULSE offers high value specialist services to employers and candidates.

Commenting on the nomination, CEO of Pulse, Richard MacMillan says: “We are delighted to have been nominated for this award, which recognises excellence in the provision of innovative staffing solutions. We work closely with our clients and candidates to find out how we can improve our services and provide solutions to their staffing needs. In 2008 we launched our new brand PULSEBank, delivering safe, value for money flexible staffing arrangements to NHS Trusts. This nomination demonstrates our ability to work closely with the NHS to share the benefits of improved process efficiencies which directly reduce costs of service delivery.”

The Health Investor Awards promote excellence and recognise innovation in the healthcare sector. The winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony on June 3rd 2009.

Specialist Healthcase staffing agency PULSE awarded NHS PASA framework agreement

PULSE, a market-leading provider of healthcare recruitment solutions, is one of 50 agencies to be awarded the National Framework Agreement for the supply of temporary Allied Health Professionals (AHP) and Health Science Service (HSS) staff to all NHS bodies within the UK.

The contract, giving access to the £96m AHP/HSS market, will run for a period of three years, with a possible extension of a further 12 months.

PULSE successfully passed a supplier audit evaluation, pre-qualification stages and a competitive pricing round to secure the contract. During the selection process, PULSE was assessed on its capability to meet NHS standards, capacity to deliver and track record, including satisfactory customer references.

Agencies included in the agreement must meet stringent quality standards and are subject to rigorous independent audit by NHS PASA. Agencies who fail the audit process may be removed from the contract with immediate effect. The intention is to give NHS organisations the confidence that agencies signed up to the agreement will adhere to quality and security guidelines. In addition to the statutory requirements, temporary workers supplied by PULSE also receive mandatory training to ensure that only competent and qualified professionals are responsible for patient care.

Commenting on the contract, CEO at PULSE, Richard MacMillan said: “PULSE is pleased to have been awarded the NHS Framework Agreement for the supply of temporary Allied Health Professionals and Health Science Service staff to the NHS. It is concerning that there are a number of agencies operating outside the framework that fail to deliver the same level of safety and quality assurance checks that is required of agencies in the agreement. It is essential that patients are confident in the fact that the healthcare professional treating them has been carefully vetted and received the appropriate background checks. By choosing a agency on the framework agreement, NHS Trusts can ensure that only competent and qualified staff are responsible for the treatment of patients.”

New data reveals rise in midwife demand as Government tightens non-EU employment

Monday, 8th December 2008 - As the birth-rate in the UK continues to rise, new recruitment data reveals demand for midwives has increased by almost 20% over the last year. This comes at a time when midwifery is no longer among the professions included on the Government’s recently published list of jobs open to immigrants from outside the European Union.

Medical recruitment agency, PULSE, one of the UK’s largest providers of midwives to NHS Trusts and provider of this data, raises concerns that the UK is facing a shortfall in the number of qualified professionals to cater for this increase.

According to the Office of National Statistics, the birthrate has risen by 16 per cent — equivalent to 90,000 extra births — since 2001. This comes at a time when the Government has pledged 3,400 extra full-time midwifery posts - or 4,000 jobs when part-time workers are taken into account. Yet, the research, for the Darzi review into the NHS, shows a shortfall in England of 4,288 midwives which suggests an urgent need to address the current skills shortage.

Richard MacMillan, Chief Executive, PULSE, comments: "The Government has to recognise that we are facing an increasing need for qualified midwives for a number of reasons and now is not the time to restrict the valuable contribution that workers coming from overseas make. At the same time, it has to do more to attract homegrown talent into the profession as well as keep the ones that we already have. Midwives are under increasing pressure at work, largely due to their departments being severely under-resourced. A fact that no one can argue with is that better resourced midwives translate directly into better care for women and this has to be a top priority.”

A report out earlier this year revealed that every six minutes, a baby is born in the UK who needs specialist hospital care yet it found that the UK’s neonatal services are overstretched and understaffed. Leaving maternity units short staffed while birth rates are rising. The shortfall is estimated after comparing it with the NHS 'gold standard' for safer childbirth, which demands one midwife per 28 births. The worst shortages are in London where 1,150 more midwives are needed to meet a 20 per cent rise in the birthrate.

MacMillan concludes: "The shortage is often blamed on Trusts for freezing their recruitment, whereas our data suggests that Trusts fully recognise the need to recruit more, the fundamental problem is, the UK doesn’t have enough skills staff to fill the positions. There needs to be a concerted effort by government to tackle this shortfall in midwives so that all babies receive the highest quality of care. A clear, long-term and properly funded UK-wide strategy to recruit and retain more of midwives must become a high priority. Without such a strategy, babies and their parents will continue to miss out on the high-quality intensive care and vital information these nurses are able to provide."

Healthcare Bucking the Downward Trend

In response to the latest market data figures from the REC/KPMG Report on Jobs, Richard MacMillan, chief executive, PULSE, comments:

“Whilst the UK labour market is in decline, healthcare is one of the few sectors where jobs remain with the latest findings revealing that there has been a month on month increase in demand for staff.

The introduction of government legislation including the ’18 week pathway’ and ‘Releasing time to care’ initiatives has obviously led to a much stronger focus in the healthcare sector on increasing patient choice, improving health outcomes and reducing patient waiting times. NHS Trusts recognise the need to fully resource their workforce to help make meeting these targets a reality and this is a large reason for the demand. With changes to government legislation such as the Working Time Directive imminent, and staff shortages increasing in the sector, we expect this trend to continue and for there to be plenty of jobs for healthcare professionals as we move into 2009.”

PULSE Shortlisted For Prestigious Recruitment Industry Award

London, UK – October 6th, 2008 – PULSE, a leading provider of healthcare recruitment solutions, has been shortlisted in the prestigious National Online Recruitment Awards (NORA).

The specialist health, scientific and social care staffing agency, competed against 497 recruitment agencies in the awards to secure a place in the final five for the Best National Recruitment Agency Website Award.

PULSE is one of the leading healthcare recruitment agencies, supplying highly-skilled health and social care workers throughout the UK. With a track record of year-on-growth and history of success, PULSE is now the fastest growing company in its sector.

In addition to sophisticated staffing solutions, PULSE offers high value specialist services to employers and candidates through their online site. Visitors to the site receive a personalised profile, advice guides and access to the iPoint system, designed to simplify the recruitment process. The site contains a series of online tools including personalised job alerts and a ‘Refer and Earn’ scheme, whereby associates can earn cash bonuses through online recommendations.

Commenting on the nomination, CEO of Pulse, Richard MacMillan says: "We are delighted to have been nominated for this award. We work closely with our clients and candidates to find out how we can improve our services and have recently introduced Web 2.0 technologies to make the site more user friendly. More than 2,000 people per month register for work on pulsejobs.com and we consistently come top of the league for health and social care staff searching for jobs. This nomination demonstrates our ability to use our web presence to develop relationships with job seekers and clients, wherever they are in the world."

The NORA awards celebrate excellence in online recruitment and received over 63,000 candidate nominations, across the ten catergories. The awards are judged by an independent panel of recruitment experts and the winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony on November 19th 2008.

Ends

For more information or to organise an interview, call Kellie Reed or Susanna Loughnane at Octopus Communications on 0845 37 00 655

Notes for editors:

About Pulse

PULSE is a leading health, scientific and social care and staffing business. With extensive UK and international operations, PULSE places specialist professionals in temporary and permanent jobs, world-wide. PULSE is ranked in the top three by market share across each clinical discipline, and has a developing reputation in the social care and scientific sectors. With a projected turnover for 2008 in excess of £140 million and demonstrating significant year on year growth, PULSE is currently the fastest growing company in its sector.

For more information on the awards please visit www.alljobsuk.com/awards

PULSE goes global with pulsejobs.com

Original Article - First Published 24-April-2008

PULSE today unveiled pulsejobs.com its new web site for connecting clients with a skilled base of health and social care professionals world-wide. Already attracting more than 60,000 visits a month to its UK site, PULSE consistently comes top of the league for health and social care staff searching for jobs.

Developed with web partner HotLizard, pulsejobs.com is a key strand of PULSE’s candidate attraction and retention strategy - a host of unique new features deliver a truly personalised web experience. Job alerts precisely suit each individual’s requirements and advanced search and categorisation allows each job seeker to target their perfect job. Sophisticated new features let PULSE workers submit timesheets and even claim rewards on-line whenever they successfully refer a friend. Clients will also find exciting benefits with a window to PULSE’s on-line booking system at their fingertips and individual country-specific areas of the website boosting access to international recruitment.

PULSE’s CEO, Richard MacMillan said: "Our site has already built an enviable reputation as one of the easiest to find on the web. This means that many health and social care professionals looking for jobs find PULSE first which gives us the pick of the best candidates. Taking customer views on board has influenced our new design and content. As a result, working with HotLizard, we have made our new site really interactive and user-friendly. Launching pulsejobs.com significantly extends our appeal to the international market. Across the world health and social care providers are experiencing significant skill and service gaps - the challenges and expense of recruiting highly skilled staff in-house has seen organisations exploring new options to meet their growing needs. Outsourcing recruitment has become a practical necessity for many and global demand for our staff has seen massive growth. PULSE’s is International Division is developing our capability to meet this demand and pulsejobs.com offers a new portal through which we can develop our relationship with job seekers and clients, wherever they are in the world."

HotLizard Managing Director, Adele Poole, comments “With PULSE, we have developed a close working relationship and understanding of their business. We ensure that we provide the level of advice and consultancy that enables them to derive ongoing business benefit and differentiation from their online presence.

PULSE is a leading health, social care and specialist staffing business. With extensive UK and international operations, PULSE places specialist professionals in temporary and permanent jobs, world-wide.

Richard MacMillan, PULSE CEO - 01992 474 901; richard.macmillan@pulsestaffing.co.uk
Kate Harris, PULSE Commercial Director – 07976 741 267; kate.harris@pulsestaffing.co.uk
Nicola Frazer-Reid, HotLizard - 01635 5327900; nicola.frazer-reid@hotlizard.net