NHS Wales Increase Spending on Agency Staff

Sixty per cent year-on-year spike in Welsh health boards’ agency spend

The amount of money NHS Wales health boards spend on agency employees has increased by over 60% compared to last year.

In 2015/16 health boards collectively spent £128,949,313 compared to £80,250,481 in 2014/15, according to a Welsh Conservative Freedom of Information request.

Cardiff and Vale, and Hywel Dda health boards both saw the biggest rise in agency spend, each marked by a 182% spike.

Cardiff and Vale health board did not release breakdown data* on their agency spend, but if excluded from the overall breakdown then collective spend on agency staff has increased in the following areas (in ascending order):

• Spend on ‘Allied Health Professionals’: +258%
• Spend on ‘other’: +71.8%
• Spend on ‘nurses’: +50%
• Spend on ‘locums’: +49%
• Spend on ‘admin and estates staff’: +36%
• Spend  on ‘bank staff’: +19.5%

Commenting on the data, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Health, Angela Burns AM, said:
“The significant increase in health boards’ use of agency staff demonstrates a growing and unhealthy dependency on an unsustainable and expensive staffing solution.

“The problem is rooted in poor workforce planning and a failure to recruit enough permanent staff with appropriate specialisms.

“As we enter the winter months, the number of agency employees is only likely to rise in line with an increased demand.

“In the long-run, it is much more cost-effective to recruit permanent staff when vacancies arise, which will go some way to plugging the £700m black hole confronting the health service in the next three years.

“An increased emphasis on ensuring medical and nursing students train in Wales and then stay to practice will also help wean health boards off agency reliance.”