THE COST of agency staff at a Lake District hospital increased by nearly 15 per cent in the last financial year, while the spend more than doubled at Penrith Community Hospital in the same period.
North Cumbria's NHS trust spent £4,332.07 on bank staff at Penrith Community Hospital in 2024/25, an increase of 54.20 per cent on the £2,809.36 in 2023/24.
The trust spent £1,227.09 on the ad hoc staff at Keswick Community Hospital in the 2024/25 financial year, it is an increase of 14.9 per cent on the £1,074.57 spent in 2023/24.
The data was revealed in the trust's response to a Freedom of Information Request, which was shared with the News & Star.
Bank staff are qualified medical practitioners who are employed on a flexible, ad hoc basis.
North Cumbria Integrated Care (NCIC) can call upon the support of bank workers as a temporary measure to plug gaps in its teams.
An increase in the use of bank or agency workers can indicate that services are suffering from staff absences, due to sickness or annual leave.
Overall, the cost of bank staff in the trust has dropped by 1.70 per cent between 2023/24 and the 2024/25 financial year.
NCIC spent a total of £4,078,678.53 on bank staff in 2023/24, which fell to £4,009,311.76 in 24/25.
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A spokesperson for NCIC said: "The number of bank and agency staff we use can change for many reasons, such as staff sickness levels, periods of annual leave, service pressures or higher demand.
"Each service may have its own reasons for needing extra support. We aim to fill as many shifts as possible with our own staff or bank staff, but we do sometimes need agency workers to help cover gaps and keep services safe."
The cost of agency staff within North Cumbria's NHS trust has also fallen.
In 23/24, NCIC spent £6,466,929.96 on the external help, which fell by six per cent, to £6,075,776.97 in 24/25.
The trust's spokesperson explained that agency staff are employed by external staffing agencies and are brought in as and when they are needed.
Overall reductions in spending on bank and agency staff come as the trust undertakes a major recruitment drive.
NCIC bosses are liaising with partner organisations such as Cumberland Council and Pears Cumbria School of Medicine to ensure Cumbria is marketed to medical professionals as a great place to live and work.
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