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Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Health Secretary, reveals that NHS organisations across the country have been paying hugely inflated hourly rates for agency staff to cover shifts.
Lansley called this a "hugely wasteful way to run the NHS", and said "only under a Labour Government could an efficiency drive actually result in rising spending on temporary and agency staff".
"It is unforgiveable that more than £300 million of taxpayers’ money intended for the NHS is instead going to employment agencies", he added.
Examples of the inflated hourly rates include an agency nurse on £146 an hour, an agency doctor on £375 an hour, and an agency manager on £400 an hour.
Back in 2006, the Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt described agency staff as "massively expensive" and called for hospitals to cut their numbers and use permanent staff instead.
Andrew is Secretary of State for Health, and is well respected across healthcare for his extensive knowledge of the NHS and health services.