The Government and NHS England have outlined plans to reduce the NHS’s reliance on agency staff. They claim that the cost to the health service of hiring temporary workers sits at a £3 billion a year.
Under joint plans to be put forward for consultation, NHS Trusts could be banned from using agencies to hire temporary entry level workers in band 2 and 3, such as healthcare assistants and domestic support workers. The consultation will also include a proposal to stop NHS staff resigning and then immediately offering their services back to the health service through a recruitment agency. They state that the proposed measures will "save the NHS significant sums, improve quality of care and enhance patient safety."
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, said: "For too long desperate hospitals have been forced to pay eye-watering sums of money on temporary staff, costing the taxpayer billions, and pulling experienced staff out of the NHS. We’re not going to let the NHS get ripped off anymore. Last month, the Chancellor made a historic investment in our health service which must reform or die. I am determined to make sure the money is well spent and delivers for patients. These changes could help keep staff in the NHS and make significant savings to reinvest in the frontline."
In a statement, the Department of Health claimed that recruitment agencies have "charged NHS Trusts up to £2,000 for a single nursing shift", in the face of 113,000 staffing vacancies across the service. The move, announced this week, will form part of Government efforts to reform and improve efficiency in the NHS - with more action planned in the future to cut reliance on short-term agency staffing. The proposals will also provide greater fairness in the workplace by ensuring staff carrying out the same roles are not paid significantly different sums.
Julian Kelly, NHS Chief Financial Officer, said: "The NHS is committed to ensuring every penny of taxpayer money is used wisely to the benefit of patients and to ensure fairness for our permanent staff. While agency spend is at a record low, with Trusts on track to save £1 billion over 2 years, we want to go further still. That’s why the NHS, working alongside the government and providers, will launch a consultation with a view to stop using agencies to fill entry level posts, building on the approach we have successfully imposed for administrative and estates staff."
A consultation will be launched by NHS England in the coming weeks, seeking views on the new proposals from staff, unions and NHS provider organisations.
