WAO urges tighter grip on agency bill

Its report, Expenditure on agency staff by NHS Wales, said agency spending had risen by 171% in the past seven years, but acknowledged the service was trying to reduce demand and costs.

NHS Wales agency spending peaked in 2016/17 at more than £164m and the report said that, on average, health bodies spent around a third of their total agency spending on medical and dental locums, with a further third on nurses and midwives. Growing demand for staff and rising hourly rates charged by agencies have contributed to the rise.

The WAO said the service must get consistent and comparable data at an all-Wales level to track the volume, nature and cost of agency staff, together with the impact of mitigating interventions such as overtime and staff banks.

It also needed strong leadership to make difficult decisions, coupled with the capacity to drive change.

Auditor general Adrian Crompton hoped the report and a data tool the auditors have produced would be used ‘to help NHS Wales continue to bring down and control these costs at a time of significant financial pressure’.