NHS Trusts did not assess impact of care from cutting agency workers

NHS Trusts have admitted to never having assessed the impact on care following the government’s directive to significantly cut agency staff in Q4 2025.

Hospitals have been left with fewer staff dealing with patients at what is the busiest time of year, as well as a rise in corridor care.

A harmful ‘cut agency staff now, think about it later’ approach

A freedom of information request sent to NHS Trusts in London by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has uncovered that half of respondents hadn’t carried out a specific impact assessment of patient outcomes relating to the Department of Health’s (DHSC) directive to cut use of agency staff by ‘30% in the short term’.

The REC is urging the DHSC to rethink this careless ‘Cut first, consider later’ approach to shedding thousands of agency staff and instead, work with healthcare staffing firms on a safer and more sustainable NHS staffing workforce plan.

Time to look more practically at ways to fix NHS recruitment problems

REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry commented, “The Department of Health’s misleading statements about temporary work costs hide the truth – while agency costs have been going down, temporary shift spending is rising as bureaucrats put ideology before the best outcomes for patients.

“Having run down the firms who did what government needed by delivering great care at controlled rates by pushing work to more expensive Bank shifts, the Department is therefore left with little or no compliant and effective safety valve for winter crises.

“It is time to look more practically and less ideologically at ways to fix the NHS’ long-standing recruitment and retention problems. As the government prepares to publish its Ten-Year NHS Workforce Plan, they should consult with agencies and the REC about how to make agency staffing work best for Trusts, patients and the exchequer.”

‘Scapegoating agencies has solved no problems’

Neil added, “On behalf of compliant, well-regulated, and care-focused agencies, the REC stands where it always has – ready to work with the NHS and the Department of Health on sustainable solutions.

“Scapegoating of agencies has run out of road and has solved no problems. The system did need and does need to change, and working with rather than against agencies to control spending, improve care and engage staff has a far bigger upside. We hope the government finally sees this in 2026.”

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