in MY ViEW

IN these days of tight budgets, it is essential that we spend every penny of taxpayers’ money to maximum effect.

That includes the NHS, which already takes up 40% of the Scottish Government’s entire budget.

One way to make better use of NHS resources is by ending the excessive use of locum doctors and agency nurses.

Too many of our health boards are now too reliant on locum doctors and agency nurses as a substitute for employing permanent staff.

This is not good for patient safety. Nor is it a wise use of scarce resources.

On average locum doctors and agency nurses cost about 80% more to employ than permanent staff. Their wages are at least 30% higher than what permanent staff get for doing the same job.

What’s more the private agencies which recruit them get a fat fee for doing so.

This encourages staff to leave the NHS to go and work for agencies, which in turn makes permanent staff shortages even worse.

While there will always be a need for some locum and agency staff, the current situation is out of control.

Three things need to happen.

Firstly, the pay cap for permanent staff in the NHS needs to end.

The gap in pay between agency and permanent staff needs to be closed, thus re-incentivising nurses and doctors to remain on the permanent payroll of the NHS.

Secondly, where temporary staff are required, the recruitment of these people should be done by the NHS itself and not by a private, profitmaking company.

Thirdly, we need to increase the number of doctors and nurses we train, to meet the demands of an ageing population.