Hospital in England pays £5,200 for one agency doctor’s shift

Experts say the sums paid to temporary staff reflects a shortage of medical personnel

Labour said the figure showed the extent of the staffing crisis in the NHS (iStock)

An NHS hospital in England has paid up to £5,200 for one agency doctor's shift, according to figures obtained by Labour.

The party said a Freedom of Information request revealed that one in three NHS trusts paid an agency more than £3,000 for a single doctor's shift last year, while three-quarters paid more than £2,000.

The most expensive shift was £5,234 and was paid by the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Greater Manchester.