Trusts are having to breach the caps on how much they pay for agency doctors because of the extremely high levels of demand

Responding to the research showing how much agency doctors are getting paid, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“Trusts are having to breach the caps on how much they pay for agency doctors because of the extremely high levels of demand they are facing for their services. 

“The staffing crisis is so desperate that they either pay these fees or find that their rotas cannot be staffed safely, leading to reduced services for patients. This is particularly true in parts of the country where the NHS can struggle to recruit new staff.

“At a time when there are 133,000 vacancies including 47,000 for nurses, 50,000 staff are off sick, over 7 million people are waiting for elective procedures, and around 95% of hospital beds are filled, the NHS can feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. It wants to ensure its resources are used efficiently, while also not wanting to do anything that will compromise the safety of its patients.

“Before the coronavirus pandemic, the NHS had made progress to reduce its reliance on agency workers but staff burnout, retention challenges including due to concerns around pay, and high demand from patients, have seen this trend reverse.

“The NHS’s long awaited workforce plan is now due next year and any government that is in power in the coming years will need to support this analysis as to where the priorities for the workforce lie. Otherwise, extreme pressures on frontline staff as well as the level of the NHS’s reliance on agency workers will continue.”