Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

It’s unbelievable! How the NHS hasn’t gone bankrupt defies belief.

Apparently NHS Trusts recorded the largest ever deficit in the history of the health service, according to figures released in May.

Now I know we pensioners living longer are the first excuse that NHS bosses come out with as blame for this, as well as the cost of drugs and medical breakthroughs. But just take a look at the fees of Agency Staff below even though a cap on Agency Fees came into place in November last year, and then convince me that there is not something seriously wrong with the people that are running our Trust Hospitals using taxpayers money as if it grows on trees.

Wye Valley NHS Trust - paid more than £2,000 for a single nursing shift
Colchester Hospitals University NHS Trust - paid more than £2,000 for a single nursing shift
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - £1,851 for 11.½ hour shift (£161 per hour !)
North Devon Healthcare NHS Trust - £182 per hour
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust - £156 per hour
Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - £1,790 per shift (£156 per hour)
Aneurin Bevan Health Board, Gwent, Wales - £144 per hour
Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust - £118 per hour
Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust - £1,303 for 11.5 hr shift, £113 per hour
Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust - £1,398 per shift, £111 per hour

Nice work if you can get it, but it isn’t the nursing staff who claim all this money but the greedy Agencies who are fleecing the NHS…..

Here are just three examples.

Medacs Healthcare Plc charged £11.4 million for 48 Trusts, up from £9.8 million last year (for 38 Trusts).

Mayday Healthcare Plc charged the NHS £31.3 million for temp nurses across 54 Trusts (£5 million more than the NHS paid it last year.

But look at this one…………….

Thornberry Nursing Services, charged £39 million for temp nurses over 47 Trusts - last year it was paid £43.9 million for 53 Trusts.

Here is another example…

Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust paid Thornberry £1,500 to cover a 12-hour shift on Good Friday.

It is blatantly obvious from reading these figures that Trusts are not keeping a grip on costs.
You can rest assured though it will be these same Trusts that will be first in the queue with outstretched hands and the begging bowl pleading poverty when the yearly budget comes around. (and still no move to collect from overseas health visitors).

Life is just too easy for Trust members. They don’t seem to be accountable to anyone.

It makes me so angry when I see such frivolous use of our taxes.

What are your views please on these outrageous fees>

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

Hi

The last lady I had a serious relationship with was a nurse, as was another family member and their partner.

They would refuse overtime, but the then work for an agency, at much more money.

The managers refused to increase staffing levels as they had staffing targets to meet.

Rather stupid in my view.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

A thought sprang to mind ....
These agency staff ..nurses and doctors.
Who are they?
Would they be the same staff that work for the NHS?
What do they do? Limit their contractual hours so they can register with an agency aswell and earn a bit more money?

You're correct .. it's an appalling mismanagement of NHS funding.
Taxpayers contributions (for their own care when it needed, which they are entitled to, whether young or old) .. should not be whittled away to pay the extortionate rates of private companies.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

Ah, thanks Swims .... I see you've answered what was puzzling me.
Well if that's what nurses do I think it only fair to reduce their public sector pension. It's hardly fair for them to enjoy taxpayer subsidised pensions when in effect they have a foot in both camps. It seems a little mercenary to me.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

The nuses I knew who did agency work did it because they couldn't get their contracted hours increased . This is the option they would have preferred . However if the choice was either extra hours at work or extra hours paying more via an agency then who could blame them for taking the option that payed more .
It's not agency nurses who are fleecing the NHS but the agencies .
This is nothing new it's been going on for years .

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

I have to disagree ...
I don't blame anyone for taking work from a higher paying source.
Except ... that doesn't then sit too well with costing the taxpayer more for their labour ... so they can gain, often to the detriment of an ailing patient who relies upon an overstretched NHS.

All nurses or ex-nurses who want to beat me up .. please supply the bandages.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

Are these threads deliberately posted to upset and annoy people who have devoted their time and energies to the caring profession.

Britain is in the grip of a nursing crisis, with thousands of vacancies yet to be filled throughout the UK. Low morale and poor pay are causing many to leave the profession or take on agency work. Indeed, agency nurses are costing the Government hundreds of thousands of pounds a year. Yet despite the onerous conditions, many nurses remain committeed to their demanding vocation and remain in the NHS

Contracts simply allow you to work only within the NHS. You then have the private agency nurses.

Simply there is no money. Actually most trusts employ nurse's from the Philippines. Excellent nurses who sometimes never see children or families for a couple of years at a time.

Swim you must have gone out with Florence Nightingale your information is so out of date. Mort there is a truck load of human excrement and vomit winging it's way to your house now. Just a minimal amount I have dealt with over the years.

Instead of blaming hard working doctors, nurses and axillary staff. Put the blame on over paid boards within hospitals and health boards. They spend the budgets.

We actually had no agency nurses as there was no money the trust was so much in debt.

I actually advise medics, nurses, anyone to emigrate to Australia or other countries to get away from this unnecessary criticism from Jo Public, who worked darned hard on your behalf to take care of you.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

If they were given a contract for more hours ie full time the situation would not arise .
However it's all about hospital policies and staffing levels and people can't be given more hours .
If they were given more contracted hours the nurses would actually be better off as they would have sick pay , maternity pay , pension benefits etc .
I worked for the NHS as a trained nurse for over 30 years.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

Point the blame in the right direction it is Government policy to make it look unworkable and page the way for their cronies to cash in.

Re: Are Nursing Agencies fleecing the NHS?

That's what I like about you Goldie ... you don't just jump on the personally offended bandwagon .. you offer a considered and carefully thought out reply.

I wonder why NHS nurses don't abandon the NHS totally and further their career and income via private agencies?
It could well be because they 'care' .. or it could be because they want to have a foot in both camps and retain their pension.

I'll expect another truck of excrement and vomit shall I.