Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS hospitals used contract and agency staff in each of the past five years; and how many contract and agency staff have been employed by NHS hospitals in each of the past five years.

The Department does not hold information on the number of National Health Service hospitals using contract and agency staff in each of the past five years. It also does not hold information on how many contract and agency staff have been employed by NHS hospitals.

The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts records the cost of temporary and agency staff used by the different types of NHS organisation including NHS foundation trusts and trusts.