In a speech to the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool tomorrow (Wednesday, 13 November 2025), the Health Secretary Wes Streeting is expected to announce a clamp down on temporary workers. Such is the reliance of the NHS on agency staff that hiring temporary workers costs the health service a staggering £3 billion a year.
The Government and NHS England plans, to be put forward for consultation, could see NHS Trusts banned from using agencies to hire temporary, entry level workers in bands 2 and 3, such as healthcare assistants and domestic support workers. The consultation will also include a proposal to stop NHS staff resigning and then immediately offering their services back to the health service through a recruitment agency.
As well as saving money, the proposed measures could improve quality of care and enhance patient safety; cutting reliance on agency staff has been shown to reduce clinical incidents.
Retain and reinvest
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting says: “For too long desperate hospitals have been forced to pay eye-watering sums of money for temporary staff, costing the taxpayer billions, and pulling experienced staff out of the NHS. We’re not going to let the NHS get ripped off anymore.
“Last month the Chancellor made a historic investment in our health service which must reform or die. I am determined to make sure the money is well spent and delivers for patients.
“These changes could help keep staff in the NHS and make significant savings to reinvest in the frontline.”
The plans to cut agency spend form part of the Government’s efforts to reform and improve efficiency in the NHS, and more action is planned in the future to cut reliance on short-term agency staffing.
The proposals will also provide greater fairness in the workplace by ensuring staff carrying out the same roles are not paid significantly different sums.
Julian Kelly, NHS Chief Financial Officer, says: “The NHS is committed to ensuring every penny of taxpayer money is used wisely to the benefit of patients and to ensure fairness for our permanent staff. While agency spend is at a record low, with Trusts on track to save £1 billion over two years, we want to go further still.
“That’s why the NHS, working alongside the Government and providers, will launch a consultation with a view to stop using agencies to fill entry level posts, building on the approach we have successfully imposed for administrative and estates staff.”
The Health and Social Care Secretary will unveil a package of tough reforms this week to cut wasteful spending in the NHS, ensure the health service delivers greater value for money and that the investment announced in the Budget does deliver shorter waiting times for patients.
The consultation will be launched by NHS England in the coming weeks, seeking views on the new proposals from staff, unions and NHS provider organisations.
