Government proposes agency staffing ban to aid ‘desperate’ hospitals

The UK government is planning to ban the use of agency staff for band 2 and 3 roles in the NHS, which include healthcare assistants and domestic support workers. This proposal aims to reduce the NHS’s £3 billion agency staffing bill for 2024-25. Additionally, the policy seeks to prevent NHS staff from resigning and then immediately returning to work through recruitment agencies. However, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation has criticized the plan, arguing that it misunderstands the role of agency workers and could lead to higher long-term costs.

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