NHS launches staff agency
A National Health Service staff agency for England,
called NHS Professionals, is to be launched across the country in October
following a six month pilot.
Covering some 50 sites and nursing staff only in
the first instance, the agency will be expanded to cover all English NHS
trusts and all professional staff by April 2003.
An Audit Commission report published on 5 September
says that the NHS spent nearly £810m on in-house nursing “bank” and agency
nurses last year. Agency and bank staff now cover 10 per cent of all nursing
shifts. Higher pay and commission mean that this costs 5 per cent more
than if NHS staff were used.
Two-thirds of the shifts covered by agency staff
are attributable to unfilled vacancies and to sickness absences.
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