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29
Mar 2023
Harrogate hospital trust spends £9m on agency staff
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust has spent £9 million on agency staff costs this year.
The figure covers staffing in areas such as nursing, dental and clinical support staff.
The trust set a target to spend no more than £473,000 each month on agencies — the equivalent of a maximum of £5.7 million over the year.
However, according to board papers, the trust has spent £9.8 million on agency staff - £4.1 million more than its target spend for the year.
In January alone, the hospital spent more than £1 million on agency staff.
HDFT agency staff spending per month. Table: HDFT.
It comes as Alex Sobel, Labour MP for Leeds North West and the party’s shadow environment minister, described Harrogate hospital’s reliance on agencies as “a disgrace”.
He told the House of Commons last month that a constituent called Marjorie Dunn spent just over seven weeks at the hospital last year.
Mr Sobel said:
The Stray Ferret has approached Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust for comment.
A spokesperson said previously:
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