6.19 The Government recognises that protection for new entrants to the workforce is also important. In the NHS two measures were introduced to address this with the specific workforce needs of the NHS in mind. These were the Retention of Employment model, and value for money testing for soft services. They recognise that the NHS workforce constitutes a distinctive "family", and that allowing employees in PFI hospitals to maintain a link to this family will help these projects operate successfully.
6.20 When a PFI hospital is planned, the department has the option to retain in-house soft services should their transfer prove not to be essential to service delivery, and does not enhance the value for money of the project. This reinforces the Government's commitment to deliver quality public services, but not at the expense of the workforce.