In 2010, the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) sent a Freedom of Information request to 164 NHS Trusts, asking for detail of their annual spending on OOH hospital ‘Locum’ doctors, of which 118 Trusts responded and 96 Trusts provided full and accurate data. According to the RCS, those that provided data reported spending totalling £442,212,880 for the year 2009/10.

The RCS were thus able to calculate an NHS-wide figure for England of in excess of £776m for the year. These figures were dramatic increases on the figures of £391m and £555m for the periods 2007/08 and 2008/09 respectively. The RCS report that these increases are a direct result of each Trusts response to the EWTD directive.

  Note: All graphs were rendered real-time using iBleep Reporting Interface.
(all data may also be dissected by specialty, grade, ward, call reason code, period)

One NHS Trust, reported a total overspend of £6,057,886 for the year 2009/10. However on 23 August 2011, their CEO reported to select committee ‘we are spending a little over £10m a year on locum doctors and that is too much’

It certainly is and it is avoidable.

Small Graphs - Big Message.

Please pause and examine them a little more closely.

There is some strong evidence that extending the iBleep service is reducing the level of work for the traditional OOH period. By extending into a 24/7 model the issues of traditional OOH staffing get reduced even further.

Then with the evidence - a chance to re-examine OOH Locum Overspending...