Agencies may charge £120 an hour, but this money is not going to the nurses etc. The agency will no doubt pocket £100 for its own so-called costs and give £20 an hour to nurses.
Thats the way it always works with agencies no matter what the industry.

louis blanc, Liverpool, merseyside

My friend was made redundant as part of PCT merging, he got 20K redundancy and straight after applied for and got another job (and pay rise) in another NHS structure in the same area.

The whole previous management team managed to be maintained despite the merger.
This is where all the NHS money goes, not on front-line staff.

Its not just nurses who can't get jobs despite the desperate need, some hospitals are shamefully inviting newly qualified dietitians and physio's to undertake VOLUNTEER work once qualified. The big sell being that you'll get experience and be in pole position for a job that eventually will come up.

Well done labour, well done MR Brown.

Dave, Gib,

A reason why agency staff are needed is the constant series of changes imposed by managers on experienced clinical staff. My wife was happily working hard in theatres - 25 years' experience, SRN and formally trained as a theatre sister. The first major upheaval transferred her from elective surgery in most disciplines to day surgery. She was told that her downgrading to staff nurse would soon cease when the unit was expanded and needed her in a sister's job. The managers then closed the hospital where she worked, moved the main hospital into a PFI hospital and made everyone bid for their own jobs in teams which put together disciplines many were unqualified to work in. Many left to become private or agency nurses. Short staffed, the hospital brought in theatre staff from the Phillipines. They banned the use of agencies. When the number of 'guestworkers' decreased (marriage to breadwinner etc) agencies were back in. The best theatre nurses earn about £35/hour gross.

verbant, Malmesbury, UK

what is a turnaround director?
I am a health manager overseas,and I have no idea what the heeck the NHS thinks its management training course is doing.
not providing healthcare managers for sure.
I thank god I got my clinical training in UK years ago and my mangement training in the forces.
I currently have a budget of millions-and no made up posts.
I pass my best wished to judith and wish her well in her job hunt.
the sooner these made up posts are gone and the cash put into clinical care and staff wages,the better.

fraser, manila, phillipines

Good grief! That is crazy!

How can responsible managers act this way? Those responsible should either be sacked or made to do some appropriate retraining. This should never be allowed.

Steve Lowman, ABERYSTWYTH, Wales

I am due to qualify as a nurse in 4 weeks and as of yet i dont have a job and it doesn't look like i will have a job for finishing..this is a disgrace

judith, lisburn, northern ireland