Agencies bill NHS for £25m

More than £25 million was spent hiring agency staff at hospitals in the Black Country and Staffordshire in just a year, it was revealed today.

Bosses today defended the outlay, saying unexpectedly high numbers of patients and levels of staff sickness were to blame. Dudley spent £10.4 million on agency staff in 2009/10 more than double the previous year.

Walsall Manor Hospital's outlay shot up by almost a third, from £3.2 million to £4.7 million.

Troubled Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust forked out £3.8 million last year, double the £1.9 spent over the previous 12 months.

Only Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trust saw a fall in the amount paid out for temporary employees, with an outlay of £6.2 million compared to £6.6 a year earlier. New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton refused to reveal its latest figures to the Express & Star. It spent just under £4m last year.

Paula Clark, chief executive at Dudley Group of Hospitals said patient care was the top priority but that 16,000 more than expected had attended in 2009/10.

"The vast majority of the £10.4 million was spent on nurses, doctors and consultants to treat these additional patients, as well as covering sickness absence," she said.

Sue Wakeman from Walsall Manor Hospital said: "It is extremely important we continue to use agency staff for the purpose of last minute shift cover."

Antony Sumara, chief executive of Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust, said agency staff were used as a last resort.