Secretary of State pledges to contain NHS agency spend
England’s Health and Social Care Secretary has pledged to contain NHS agency spend.
Speaking at the NHS Providers annual conference, Steve Barclay set out the scale of the challenge facing the health service, with agency spending having increased by 45% in the last year, equivalent to an extra £2 billion.
He highlighted a number of factors driving the reliance on agency staff, including Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the increase in the number of complex cases being seen by the NHS.
Barclay stressed the need to take action to control agency spending: “I understand the challenges our NHS faces but we must not become overly reliant on agency staff. Agency spend is not a sustainable solution and it is not fair on taxpayers.”
He outlined a number of measures to address the issue:
- Increasing the number of NHS staff through recruitment and retention
- Improving productivity through better use of technology and data
- Working with the agency sector to reduce costs and promote best practice
Barclay emphasized that the government is committed to supporting the NHS in its efforts to reduce agency spending, and he called on the sector to work together to find solutions.
“We must work together to create a more sustainable NHS for the future,” he said. “This means controlling agency spending, investing in our workforce, and improving productivity.”
Responding to Barclay’s speech, Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “We welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to containing agency staffing costs. The NHS relies heavily on agency staff and this is a major issue for trusts.”
Hopson outlined a number of challenges facing the NHS in reducing agency spending:
- The shortage of permanent NHS staff
- The high cost of agency staff
- The need to ensure that patients receive high quality care
He stressed the need for a long-term solution to the issue: “We need to work together to find ways to reduce the cost of agency staffing without compromising on the quality of care. This will require a long-term plan that involves all parts of the health and care system.”
The government aims to reduce agency spend by 1% in 2023-24, 3% in 2024-25, and 5% in 2025-26.
Secretary of State pledges to contain NHS agency spend
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