What is insourcing?

Insourcing is increasingly being used by the NHS as part of its efforts to cut the elective backlog, however there are a number of myths and misconceptions about its use. IHPN have therefore produced a quick explainer with everything you need to know about insourcing.

What is insourcing?

Insourcing is when independent healthcare providers deliver NHS services within NHS facilities, using the providers own clinical teams, and management.

This helps NHS organisations increase capacity quickly, often to tackle waiting lists without needing to expand their permanent workforce or infrastructure..

What does insourcing look like in practice?

Independent providers may:

  • Run additional clinics, lists or theatres (e.g. evenings/weekends)
  • Deliver diagnostic services (e.g. MRI, CT, endoscopy)
  • Provide specialist clinical teams to clear backlogs in specific pathways

Care is still:

  • Delivered to NHS patients
  • Within NHS clinical governance frameworks
  • Integrated into existing hospital pathways

All NHS care, whether delivered by NHS teams or independent providers through insourcing, must meet the same rigorous standards of safety and quality, with clear regulatory and clinical oversight in place.

How does insourcing benefit the NHS?

  • Reduces waiting times by increasing activity quickly
  • Convenient for patients who can be seen outside usual working hours
  • Flexible and cost effective capacity without long-term staffing commitments
  • Maximises the use of NHS facilities at times when they would otherwise go unused
  • Access to specialist teams (e.g. high-volume surgical lists)
  • Supports recovery targets and elective backlog reduction

How is insourcing different from recruitment?

This is where confusion often arises.

Insourcing

  • A service solution
  • Delivered by an independent provider organisation
  • Provides a fully managed clinical team
  • Provider is responsible for: staffing, governance and delivery of activity.
  • Typically short- to medium-term and flexible

Recruitment (or agency staffing)

  • A workforce solution
  • NHS hires individual clinicians (permanent, locum or agency)
  • NHS is responsible for: Managing staff, Clinical governance, Service delivery
  • Often longer-term workforce gap filling

How is it different from outsourcing?

  • Insourcing: care delivered inside NHS hospitals
  • Outsourcing: care delivered in independent sector facilities

Both support NHS patients, but the setting differs.

Why insourcing is important

Insourcing is a practical, established way of:

  • Maximising use of existing NHS estate
  • Bringing in extra capacity at pace

It’s one of several tools, alongside recruitment and outsourcing, that helps ensure patients are seen and treated more quickly.

IHPN and insourcing

We have over half a dozen members who provide insourcing services across the UK supporting patient care