HC Deb 02 March 2000 vol 345 cc409-10W
Mr. Harvey

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) numbers of and (b) cost to the NHS of employing agency nurses (i) nationally and (ii) by region for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [112396]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 1 March 2000]Information on the number of agency staff is not available centrally.

The table shows the total expenditure on non-National Health Service nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in England, for the financial years 1994–95 to 1998–99. These figures include all agency staff and any staff not directly employed by individual NHS trusts and health authorities.

Expenditure on non-NHS nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff England
£
Financial year Total expenditure
1994–95 132,836,673
1995–96 166,631,983
1996–97 191,496,635
1997–98 216,338,567
1998–99 272,225,162

Sources:

1. Annual financial returns of district and regional health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals 1994–95 and 1995–96

2. Annual financial returns of health authorities 1996–97 to 1998–99

3. Annual financial returns of NHS trusts