Desperate NHS pays up to £2,500 for nursing shifts
NHS bosses are increasingly paying premium rates for agency staff to plug holes in rotas, the BBC has found.
Spending in this area rose by 20% last year to hit £3bn in England.
For many shifts, bosses have been so short-staffed they have been willing to breach the government pay caps for these agency workers, most of whom are doctors and nurses.
Separate data supplied by Labour showed some NHS trusts had paid as much as £2,500 to nurses to fill shifts.
Out of 60 responses from trusts, 10 reported the most expensive shift cost over £2,000, and for another 13 it was between £1,000-2,000.
The BBC spoke to one cancer doctor who was offered work for £130 an hour - well above the cap for his role - and described the fees available as "astonishing" and a reflection of "desperation by management".
Chief executive of Colchester hospital, Nick Hulme, says a combination of factors is playing a role, including the need to open extra wards to cope with rising demand, as well as staffing shortages.
Some people are even leaving their jobs, only to return later as agency workers.
He says while many agency workers do fantastic work on the wards, he would still prefer to be able to use his own staff. "We know that's best for patient care, best for patient experience. Agency staff require more supervision and tasks such as handovers take longer."
Source: BBC News, 11 November 2022