HEALTHCARE chiefs have spent £90,000 on a London recruitment campaign because they are struggling to fill more than 100 vacancies, forcing them to shell out millions a year on agency staff.

Billboards are going up across the capital and posters are being displayed on buses and the underground in a major attempt to draw in new talent.

Dorset Healthcare (DHUFT) last year spent £12 million on covering vacant posts so that it could deliver vital services. It is hoping that, through a range of measures including the advertising campaign, it can halve this cost for 2016/17.

Currently, there are 111 vacancies- 64 of them nurses.

The average salary for a Band 5 nurse is between £21,909 to £28,462.

But covering a Band 5 nurse post with agency can cost between £20 to £135 per hour.

 However, the RCN says it is unlikely the trust would spend too much with the most expensive agencies (see below).

Before going to agency, Dorset Healthcare tries to use its workforce 'bank'. It currently has more than 1,150 bank-only clinicians, who play 'an important role' in delivering services.

Permanent staff also have the option to do Bank work in addition to their contract. DHUFT also 'skill mixes', which means it brings in an existing member of staff to cover a role they don't usually work in.

Director of nursing and quality Fiona Haughey said: “We chose London because we’ll be able to reach a huge number of people throughout the campaign. Our own staff tell us the lifestyle change attracted them to Dorset. I came here from London 26 years ago to do my health visitor training and I’ve never left. I had no idea where I was coming to and never intended to stay, but it’s offered me so many opportunities.

“We know we’re competing against trusts across the UK but we have a lot to shout about. We’re very proud of our services and our staff and we’d like to find more great people to join us.”

But unions say vacant posts are putting additional stress on staff and are down to a lack of government support.

Unison South West head of health, Helen Eccles said: “The real reason the NHS is struggling to recruit staff is the dire lack of funding the government has provided. With health budgets under pressure like never before and the recent removal of the training bursary for student nurses, an advertising campaign just isn’t going to cut it.

“Patients and staff will be better off with more proper contracts and fewer agency arrangements, but if we want a properly staffed health service then we need it to be properly resourced.”

The issue doesn't just affect Dorset- last year Office for National Statistics data showed that two thirds of health trusts are having to look abroad because they can't find qualified staff in the UK.

Dorset County Hospital’s chief operating officer Julie Pearce said there were “one or two” vacancies for nurses at the hospital at the moment but nothing out ordinary.

She said the hospital had been “really successful” at attracting registered nurses over the past 18 months, investing around £1million and filling almost all vacant posts.

Mrs Pearce said the felt the additional nursing capacity was a major factor in the hospital being in a better position to cope with the increasing winter demand on the hospital.

She said the hospital had also been in talks with Dorset HealthCare about using some of its bank staff to open up some additional beds at Bridport Community Hospital to use as ‘step down beds’ for patients who were ready to leave the acute hospital but not yet ready to return home and was working with the trust to assist with recruitment.

Financial situation isn't bad in Dorset- but staff 'struggling to cope'

Julie Connolly, senior RCN officer for Dorset, said: “Dorset Healthcare doesn’t have the same financial challenges currently that many other Trusts in the South West face. They expect to be in the black at year end.

"The RCN are supportive of any legitimate efforts that NHS Trusts do to recruit and retain sufficient nurses to provide high quality nursing care. However this must be balanced against the impact this may have on current permanent loyal employees who have faced pay freezes over the last six years and are struggling to cope financially and with the pressures with no additional reward.

“We are not aware of any Trust using the agencies (such as Thornbury) charging £135 unless absolutely necessary and requests to do so would need to be signed of at CEO level.  We are not aware of any other Trusts in Dorset advertising relocation packages but all Trusts are looking at incentives such as paying bank staff more, golden handshakes for certain specialities or areas hard to recruit/retain staff in.”

The RCN added that it is unlikely that any business will be told to cap what they charge for a service.  However Trusts do have to work within a cap placed upon them for agency spend.

“Trusts across the region (and England) have significant nursing vacancies. The problem with paying bank staff more is the risk of permanent staff leaving and joining the bank.  With pay restraint and pension changes over the last few years nurses are having to resort to using free market principles and will go to the highest bidder.”

“There is tremendous pressure on permanent nursing staff.  We are aware that some wards are entirely staffed by agency on some shifts, some with one permanent nurse. It is difficult for any agency nurse to provide the same level of care as a permanent staff member. Yes this is leading to greater sickness/absence, decisions to retire and leaving and joining the ‘bandwagon’.