HOSPITAL bosses at the James Paget in Gorleston have managed to cut the cost of using agency nurses by more than �700,000 over a four year period, new figures reveal.

HOSPITAL bosses at the James Paget in Gorleston have managed to cut the cost of using agency nurses by more than �700,000 over a four year period, new figures reveal.

The trust spent �837,322 in 2004/05 but has reduced costs to about �63,000 so far in 2008 - but still up from �11,850 in 2007/08.

Nick Coveney, director of nursing and patient services at James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said “Temporary staff have, and continue to play, a key role in helping the trust to respond to fluctuations in demand for services as necessary. The trust uses its own bank nurses and works with matrons and ward managers to ensure that appropriate staffing levels are in place. The trust operates with very few nursing vacancies and the use of external temporary nursing staff is only considered once all other options have been exhausted. Over the last four years we have reduced our overall spend on agency nurses from �837,322 in 2004/05 to around �63,000 so far this year. Our costs have been a little higher this year due to a number of service developments where new nursing posts have been created and where it has taken time to recruit into these.”