Spending on agency staff across NHS in England drops by almost £1bn

Exclusive: Cost-saving for 2024-25 follows pledge by Wes Streeting to cut the amount going to agencies by 30%

Spending on agency staff across the NHS in England dropped by almost 1bn in the last financial year, ministers have said, after a pledge by Wes Streeting to cut the amount going to agencies by 30%.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, the total spent by trusts on agency staff during 2024-25 was nearly 1bn lower than the previous year.