Agency nurses costs soaring

Government spending on bank and agency nursing is set to rise to more than £100 million this year.

If current trends continue, the total cost of using reserve nurses will rise for the third year in a row.

GOVERNMENT SPENDING on bank and agency nursing is set to rise to more than £100 million this year.

If current trends continue, the total cost of using reserve nurses — both from within the NHS and outside agencies — will rise for the third year in a row.

Figures uncovered by Labour show the amount spent on outside agency nurses fell from £3,950,181 in 2010/11 to £3,686,649 in 2011/12, but if the total of £2,496,132 for the first six months of this financial year is replicated, the final number will clock in at just under £5 million.

Between April and September, £49,711,916 was spent on using nurses from the NHS staff bank. If that trend continues, the total will be just under £100 million, a rise from £87,540,093 in 2011-12 and £81,868,089 the previous year.

Labour health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: “A gency nurses cost more and because they aren’t part of the main team, can often cause communication problems which could impact the levels of patient care.

“NHS Boards are struggling to make ends meet, with a majority running deficits and digging themselves into deeper financial holes. Using bank and agency nurses will only compound this situation.”

The amount spent on NHS staff bank nurses in Tayside so far in 2012/13 is £1,921,782, compared to a total of £2,918,498 last year.

The amount spent on outside agency nurses was £139,594 in the first six months of the financial year, £567,289 in 2011/12 and £225,922 in 2010/11.

In Fife, £2,662,000 has been spent on NHS staff bank nurses so far this year, with totals of £4,445,000 and £4,318,000 over the previous periods.

Just £2,000 had been spent on agency workers to date in 2012/13, the same amount as the whole of the previous year but much less than the £49,000 in 2010/11.

Royal College of Nursing Scotland associate director for employment relations Norman Provan said: “What we would not wish to see ... is the use of bank nurses at the expense of NHS permanent contracted nurses. Bank nurses often work different shifts and this can affect the continuity of care which is important for patients, particularly older people.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “Using the nurse bank has saved the NHS over £22 million on agency spend since it was created — but the important thing is that our bank nurses are better trained, ensuring high quality, safe and effective care for our patients.”