NHS bosses have forked out nearly £3.7billion to hire private agency doctors in the last four years.
That works out at almost £1billion a year – enough to pay the salaries of more than 30,000 new junior doctors.
The figures were uncovered by Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who said: “Taxpayers are picking up the bill for the Conservatives’ failure to train enough doctors and nurses over the past 12 years.”
He vowed: “ Labour will train 7,500 more doctors and 10,000 more nurses a year, paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status.”
In September, there were 9,000 vacant doctor posts in secondary care.
A British Medical Association survey also found nearly half of senior hospital doctors in England plan to leave the NHS or take a break from it next year. Meanwhile, newly qualified foreign GPs are being driven out of the NHS over deportation fears.
Immigration rules state they must stay in the skilled worker visa scheme for at least five years before they can stay indefinitely.
But GPs finish training after three years – leaving a two-year gap where those from abroad must secure sponsorship to stay.
Dr Emma Runswick, BMA council deputy chair, said: “The NHS wouldn’t need to pay out such large amounts to agency staff if there were enough doctors in the first place.
“We have 130,000 vacancies – a direct result of staff being undervalued too long.”
The Department of Health said it had “reduced agency spending by a third between 2016 and 2021”. It added: “The NHS has almost 4,000 more doctors and over 9,300 more nurses compared to September 2021.”
