“A tough further clampdown on staffing agencies and highly-paid NHS managers employed through agencies has been announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt today. That means no more agencies charging more than 3 times what a doctor might earn for a normal shift or expecting an hourly rate of more than £50 for a nurse who would usually be paid approximately £15 an hour. Tackling high-cost staffing agencies is part of a package of measures which will help to cut costs so that every penny can be reinvested in frontline care and towards delivering a truly 7 day NHS.” Department of Health 13 October 2015

The use of bank and agency staffing in nursing is a critical and costly issue for the NHS.  NHS Employers recently stated that “A planned, flexible mix of substantive and temporary staff can deliver cost savings and a high-quality patient experience”.  This conference focuses on managing and reducing bank and agency staffing in nursing through delivering a tailored and flexible workforce strategy. This issue will only become more important with the drive to 7 day working in the NHS therefore it is critical that organisations understand where bank and agency staff fit within nursing staffing, skill mix and workforce development overall. 

The conference will include national updates, practical case studies and extended interactive sessions focusing on the tools, strategies and systems that can help you to deliver an effective nursing workforce strategy that makes the most of substantive staff through flexible working.