Agency Spend is Still One of Healthcare’s Biggest Financial Leaks

NHS England spent £2.1 billion on agency staff in 2024, despite national plans to reduce this dramatically.

Despite clear policy direction, agency staff continue to be used to fill gaps that could often be covered by internal or bank teams. Why?

  • Permanent and bank staff are underutilised
  • No real-time view of availability across the full workforce
  • Last-minute rota gaps force emergency agency booking
  • Manual planning tools make proactive cover nearly impossible

Even when it’s avoidable, agency spend keeps climbing, eating into service budgets and audit performance.

Unnecessary agency reliance creates ripple effects across your organisation:

  • Higher operating costs without matching increases in care output
  • Blocked investment in long-term workforce development
  • Increased audit scrutiny and reporting requirements
  • Staff dissatisfaction when agency gets preferential shifts
  • Misalignment with NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, which mandates reduced agency dependency

The longer you go without control, the harder it is to cut back later.

RotaMaster Helps You Reduce Agency Use, Without Risking Coverage

Our intelligent platform puts your permanent and bank staff first, automatically surfacing internal options before shifts escalate to agency.

We help you fill gaps earlier, plan smarter, and engage your workforce, all while staying compliant and in control.

Feature
Why it Matters
Full Workforce Visibility
See all available staff — permanent, bank, and agency — in one rota view
Integrated Bank Staff Module (Bank+)
Manage your internal bank with availability, compliance, and shift bidding
StaffHub App
Staff receive instant shift alerts and can request, bid or swap shifts fast
Rota Gap Alerts
Get early warnings when shifts remain unfilled — act before it’s urgent
Rule-Based Scheduling
Set preferences to always prioritise internal fill before agency

NHS Policy Alignment: Targets for Reduction

The NHS has committed to drastically reducing agency costs in the coming years:

  • NHS Workforce Alliance has set clear guidance:
    • “Reduce reliance on agency staff to fill vacant shifts”
    • “Ensure agency use is genuinely urgent”
    • “Drive agency to the lowest level of fill”
  • Bank staff use is encouraged as a priority fill route
  • RotaMaster enables this model operationally

What Success Looks Like

With RotaMaster, you can:

  • Improve fill planning by surfacing internal capacity early
  • Increase staff flexibility via mobile shift bidding
  • Communicate shift gaps in real time — not last minute
  • Improve audit reporting around agency spend
  • Move toward the NHS target of sub-5% agency fill (localised)
Book A Demo

What our customers say about us

  • RotaMaster has provided us with the tools we needed to streamline our operation and gain better conrtol over our workforce management. The improved visibility and integration have already made a significant impact on our efficiency and recruitment process.

    Mike Foster
    Finance Director, Camden Health Partners

  • Accurate rotas. No need to constantly phone to try and cover shifts. Good recording tool of absences and annual leave.

    Derek Johnston
    Performance Manager, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS

  • Major cost savings and major time savings. The impact of RotaMaster cannot be overstated!

    Maisie Chart
    Operations Officer, Teladoc Health UK

  • Now we can reproduce a month’s rota at the click of a button and can have complete control over when staff get to see it.

    Rebecca Fawcett
    Workforce Manager, Kernow Health CIC

  • ... both HR and service managers can have access to the same contemporaneous records which supports us in meeting requirements from our regulators, and managing our CQC inspections better.

    Ruth Mabika
    Chief of Staff, Nouvita Healthcare

  • Rotamaster has helped us to manage and control our rosters in an easier way. This enables us to push for shifts that we require filling first and work closer with staff to balance our needs and theirs.

    Joe Chilton
    Deputy General Manager, London Ambulance Service

  • RotaMaster has provided excellent account management and personalised training sessions. The online learning portal (knowledge zone) is also an excellent tool to support learning, as well as the newly introduced lunchtime learning webinars

    Sarah Rochelle
    Operations Manager, Northern Health

  • There is no doubt about the care and enthusiasm that your (RotaMaster) staff have. Their constant availability through the process has helped so much.

    Craig Barker
    Operations Manager, NUPAS

  • Before RotaMaster, we had no way of effectively managing our extended access services. Now we’re able to effectively schedule staff and ensure prompt payment – removing bias and giving consistency to operations.

    Sally White
    Project Manager, Suffolk GP Federation

  • Working in collaboration with RotaMaster, the SWL Alliance, SWL Federations and Primary Care Networks have been able to build workforce resilience due to the tools and technology as well as the flexibility that RotaMaster has been able to provide.

    Mariam Ganesaratnam
    Director and CEO, SWL Primary Care Provider Alliance

Ready to find out more?

Book a demo with one of our team today.

Book a demo Overview Video
Workforce Management
Industries
Services
Contact

RotaMaster
West One, Wellington Street,
Leeds, LS1 1BA

01924 252 360
enquiries@rotamaster.co.uk