The Welsh NHS spent a colossal £260m on agency and bank staff in the last year to help fill gaps in rotas, new figures have shown. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in Wales claims the spend for 2021-22, which is up 36% when compared to the previous financial year (£191.5m), highlights chronic and serious shortages in the workforce.
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which covers south-east Wales, spent the most on agency and bank staff in 2021-22 with £57.5m followed by Betsi Cadwaladr UHB (£48.8m), Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB (£48m), Hywel Dda UHB (£37.5m), Swansea Bay UHB (£34.6m), Cardiff and Vale UHB (£23.7m), and Powys Teaching (£10m). In the past five years agency spend has almost doubled with the total increasing by 98% since 2017-18.
Agency nurses, who are often paid substantially more than permanent NHS staff, are typically brought in by health boards across Wales due to high vacancy rates or sickness levels. Meanwhile bank staff are used as a less expensive alternative mode of flexible workers who want to work in the NHS when there is a need for temporary workers. The Royal College of Nursing estimates there are around 3,000 nursing vacancies at present.
