Claims that locum agencies gouge hospitals to earn more lucrative commissions are “reckless and unfounded”, the peak body for recruiters says.

GP turned Greens politician Dr Amanda Cohn, who worked as a locum before her election to the NSW upper house last year, accused some recruitment agencies last month of waiting for hospitals to offer crisis rates before accepting job offers.

“Agents have discouraged me from accepting placements before the hospital was offering crisis rates,” she told Parliament.

She called on the state’s hospitals to stop using private recruiters and bring the activity under a centralised NSW Health body.