Agency doctor paid equivalent of £172,965 annual salary

11:40am Saturday 3rd January 2009

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By Clare Kennedy »

A PATIENT group has condemned Hampshire hospital bosses for paying agency staff nearly £100 an hour to cover shifts.

Latest figures show that the highest amount paid to an agency hospital worker in Southampton was £88.70 per hour – equivalent to an annual salary of £172,965.

The money was paid to a temporary consultant during August and September last year.

It is likely that that the agency worker came from a privately run firm rather than NHS Professionals, a non-profit, Government organisation set up to provide flexible staff with considerably lower costs.

Meanwhile, Hampshire Partnerships NHS Trust, which runs the county’s mental health services, paid a temporary consultant psychiatrist £82.85 an hour from May to October.

This is the equivalent to an annual salary of £161,557.

No one was available for comment from Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for running Southampton General and Princess Anne Hospitals, or from Hampshire Partnerships NHS Trust, who employed the two agency workers.

Michael Summers, vice-chaiman of the Patients’ Association said: “It’s surprising to find these sums of money are spent on agency staff which does ultimately affect patient care.

“Better staff planning and fewer staff cuts would reduce the need for agency staff, and it seems that neither trust is using the NHS’ own organisation for temporary staff.

“It is just leading to vast sums of money disappearing from the NHS as the private agency firms are making huge profits.

“Patients dislike changes in staffing on a regular basis as there is no continuity of care.”

The figures were obtained under the Freeedom of Information Act after the Conservatives asked all NHS organisations about the highest amount paid to any agency worker in each month from May to October last year.

No figures regarding agency staff costs were provided for Southampton Primary Care Trust and Hampshire Primary Care Trust, responsible for local health services such as GP surgeries.

Nationwide, almost £800 million was spent on agency staff in 2006/07, although the Department of Health insists this figure is falling.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Increasing the quality of and achieving best value for money from temporary staffing is an important aspect of workforce planning in the NHS.

“We are spending less on agency staff year on year.”