Case studies

Workforce solutions

Examples of our work in this area

• We advised the Department of Health on how NHS employers can maximise workforce flexibilities in order to maximise productivity and avoid redundancies during the current economic downturn.
• We advised NHS London on the development of a model change management policy that promotes consistency and good practice amongst employers and has been adopted by many of the NHS bodies in London.
• We were instructed by the Department of Health to provide legal advice on recommendations made by the Review Body established to consider adaptations to the national programme for postgraduate medical training for career-grade NHS doctors. Much of this work was time critical, since it was necessary to ensure that junior doctor recruitment was completed in time to enable hospitals to have a full complement of staff, and also to keep Ministers briefed as to the lawfulness of the Review Body’s proposals.
• Equal Pay– we have had the first full hearing in the national NHS Equal Pay claims which was successful and we are involved in the two national test cases.  
• We advised NHS Employers including drafting the national statement which considers the impact of the Stringer case on the NHS in the UK, providing national advice to NHS Employers on the immigration and employment implications of the decision in Purohit v Osborne Clarke.  We also advised NHS Employers on threatened infraction proceedings by the European Commission involving alleged discrimination by a number of NHS bodies.