The REC has written to the Health and Social Care Committee today calling for an inquiry into the results of its FOI requests that compared the five most expensive bank and agency shifts in 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Neil Carberry, REC chief executive, said: ‘The idea that bank staff are always cheaper is simply wrong. Our data shows the opposite in some cases and that should ring alarm bells for ministers. This shows that workforce shortages, not staffing models, drive cost.'

The DHSC has said it wants to eliminate agency use in the NHS by the end of this Parliament.

Carberry accused the Government of adopting a ‘cut now, think later' strategy to agency staffing.

He said: ‘We are ready to work with the NHS and the Department of Health on sustainable solutions on behalf of compliant, well-regulated and care-focused agencies.'

REC analysis published in January 2026 shows spending on bank staff exceeded agency between 2020 and 2025, in some cases by a significant margin.

It is understood by HM that the Health and Social Care Committee will consider the REC's inquiry request at its meeting next week.

A Department of Health and Social care spokesperson said: ‘Thanks to the record £29bn this Government has invested, the NHS has an additional 12,000 doctors, plus 16,000 more nurses and health visitors compared to July 2024.  We have also achieved our commitment to employ an additional 8,500 mental health workers three years ahead of schedule.

‘We have significantly reduced spending on agency staff across the NHS and have provided guidance to NHS organisations on getting better value for money to invest more in frontline staff.

‘On top of this, we will publish a 10-Year Workforce Plan later this spring to put the NHS workforce on a sustainable footing.'