Flu Epidemic Raises Sussex NHS Contract Staff Costs by £2 million

Date: March 09, 2009

January saw exceptional costs for Sussex and Brighton hospitals as flu epidemics cost the NHS around �2,000 000 in temporary and contract staff.

Agency workers were required to help cover sickness with permanent staff as well as holidays at this seasonal time of year, however The NHS trust which runs Sussex hospitals in Brighton and Haywards Heath stated that the flu virus prevailing throughout the UK during the winter caused a massive need for extra staff and beds during winter, the ramifications of which were expected to reach into March 2009.

Across the entire UK other NHS hospitals have seen similar rises in temporary or contract staff, despite aims to reduce contract workers in order to keep costs down. Some hospitals resorted to moving patients to private hospitals during busiest times to free up beds for new patients. The elderly were the most affected with flu striking them hardest.

The Brighton Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust finance director, Colin Gentile reported that the Trust had spent a figure of around �17 million this financial year on contract and temporary staff.

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