§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the cost to the National Health Service of employing agency nurses; and what is the cost per head of nurses working in the National Health Service, and of nurses with identical qualifications working for agencies.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)The cost to the National Health Service in England of employing agency nurses was £103,456,000 for 1991/92. Figures for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not available centrally.
Information on costs per head of nurses working in the NHS and nurses working for agencies is not available centrally.