A Bradford recruitment agency today warned of a potential crisis in the healthcare sector due to new regulations on the qualifications needed by carers.

Horizon Recruitment, which has a department dedicated to healthcare, said the new qualification requirements and poor rates of pay are leading to a shortage of residential care and support workers in the region.

Horizon Healthcare, which specialises in providing support workers to service users with learning disabilities and mental health problems, said that more needed to be done to address the problem.

Strict rules laid down by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), say that half of any organisation's workers must have or be working towards by 2005, a recognised qualification in healthcare equivalent to NVQ Level 2. The new ruling applies to both permanent and temporary staff.

Horizon Healthcare manager Susan Denvers, who runs the division with recruitment consultant Shelley Burton, said the new regulations and the often poor rates of pay were forcing many people to turn their back on the profession.

She said the gap needed to be filled quickly if providers such as Horizon were to be able to service clients.

"We are committed to providing the best in quality healthcare," she said. "Our clients include those with mild learning difficulties to those with extremely challenging behaviour.

"Because we work with well-known and reputable organisations we need to be able to recruit the right people and be able to provide personnel on a short or long-term and permanent basis."

From September, an arrangement has been made with a local college where Horizon staff can do NVQ Level 2 in Healthcare.

Horizon was founded in Bradford in 1997 and was this year named the UK's best regional recruitment firm.

It now has offices across the region in Leeds, Sheffield and Wakefield and employs around 60 people.

It turns over around £12 million a year and clients include the University of Bradford and Bradford College.