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NHS defended on temp spend

NHS spend on temporary workers is far from "wasteful". So says a temp sector player.

NHS spending on temporary agency workers is far from "wasteful" according to temporary agency labour specialist, which manages the supply of agency workers to several leading care organisations, rebuked the claims made by the Conservatives, that money was being wasted on temporary staff.

It argues that temporary workers were crucial during 2009 to keep services running after a long-standing skills shortage in the care sector was intensified by restrictions on migrant workers and the new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS).

de Poel believes that temporary agency workers have always had a key role in allowing public sector care organisations to respond to market shifts and periods of increased demand for services, and should not be attacked. Its remarks came after government figures showed NHS spending on temps rose 60 percent in two years - hitting almost £1.3bn in England in 2008.

Chief Executive of de Poel, Matthew Sanders, said: "Temporary agency workers have always had a crucial part to play in the care sector, but last year the effects of a skills-shortage, changes to the immigration points-based system and the introduction of the VBS meant demand shot up.

"We would be better if we put less into denying the importance of temporary workers and more into regulating and improving the industry, recognising the value of temporary workers during certain periods. He continued: "Use of agency staff is only detrimental when it is left unmanaged. If rates are standardised to their optimal level, if formal terms of business are introduced and if organisations can restrict the number of suppliers to a select audited few, then they can actually prove extremely valuable in allowing organisations to be more flexible and responsive."