From: FOI (Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust) tsdft.foirequests@nhs.net
To: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
Reference: TSD10532
Signed by: Sarah Goss, Data Protection Lead

Dear Susie Colley,

We are writing to confirm that we have now completed our search for the information you requested. A copy of the information is below.

1. The hourly charge rates paid for agency nursing staff for weekend shifts.
£31.29 / £38.51

2. A breakdown of these hourly charge rates:

• The amount paid directly to the nurse: £26.60 / £32.73
• Agency fees, commissions, or other associated costs: £4.69 / £5.78

3. Confirmation of whether any agency nursing shifts have been filled at or above £90 per hour:

• The number of such shifts: N/A
• The total hours worked at this rate (or above): N/A
• The total cost incurred at this rate (or above): N/A

4. The total number of agency nurses engaged for weekend shifts, and the total number of hours worked.
Based on April 2026: 648 nurses worked weekend shifts. Total number of hours: 7,037

5. The total expenditure on agency nursing staff for weekend cover.
Based on April 2026: £225,140

6. The frequency of agency nurse usage for weekend shifts.
Based on April 2026, 242

7. Any recorded policies, business cases, or documented rationale comparing the use of agency staff versus offering enhanced pay or incentives to substantive staff for weekend shifts.
N/A

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Goss
Data Protection Lead
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

From: Susie Colley (chair@tqcc.co.uk)
To: FOI Team, Torbay and South Devon NHS FT
Reference: TSD10532

Dear Ms Goss,

Thank you for your response to FOI request TSD10532. Having reviewed the information provided, I would be grateful if you could clarify several matters arising from the response, as some aspects appear incomplete and raise further questions regarding workforce planning and expenditure.

Workforce Planning and Voluntary Redundancy. The Trust has previously undertaken voluntary redundancy programmes as part of workforce and financial management measures. Please explain whether any nursing, clinical support, or patient-facing posts were reduced through voluntary redundancy, voluntary severance, recruitment freezes, or non-replacement of vacancies during the period in which agency nurses were subsequently engaged; what assessment was undertaken to determine whether retaining substantive staff would have represented better value; whether any cost-benefit analysis compared voluntary redundancy payments and subsequent agency expenditure; and why agency nurses were required in such significant numbers if substantive staffing had previously been reduced.

Use of Enhanced Rates for Existing Staff. Question 7 was answered "N/A". Please clarify whether no such documents exist, or whether they exist but were not identified within the scope of the search. If no documents exist, please confirm whether any formal assessment was undertaken before deciding to incur agency expenditure rather than offering enhanced rates, overtime incentives, retention payments, bank shifts, or recruitment initiatives.

Frequency of Agency Usage. Please clarify what the figure of 242 represents (number of shifts, occasions agency staff were booked, requests for agency cover, or some other measure).

Agency Staffing Controls. Please provide details of any executive approvals, expenditure controls, or governance arrangements required before agency nursing staff can be engaged; whether the Trust has set agency reduction targets; and the total agency nursing expenditure for the financial year to date, not limited to weekends.

Financial and Patient Safety Considerations. Please confirm whether the Trust has undertaken any review, audit, risk assessment, or Board-level discussion concerning the financial impact of agency dependency, workforce sustainability, the relationship between vacancy levels and agency expenditure, and any risks to continuity of patient care arising from reliance on temporary staffing.

I would be grateful if this correspondence could be treated either as a request for clarification of the original response or as a new Freedom of Information request where appropriate.

My overarching concern is: if the Trust was reducing its workforce through voluntary redundancy, severance, vacancy freezes, or non-replacement of posts, what analysis demonstrated that paying agency nurses for more than 7,000 weekend hours in a single month represented better value for public money than retaining substantive staff?

Thank you for your assistance; clearly in the event of an unsatisfactory response the Heart Campaign will be requesting an internal review.

Kindest regards

Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign
(Declined) Governor of Torbay Hospital

To: Chris Balch (Trust Chair), Martin Beaman, Joe Teape (Trust CEO)
CC: Wide distribution including regional press, David Simmonds MP, and Torbay Council (David Thomas, Cat Johns)
Date: 30 April 2026, 22:20

Good evening Mr Balch

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the use and cost of agency nursing staff. It has been suggested that agency nurses may be used to cover weekend staffing gaps at rates of up to £90 per hour. I request clarification of this point through the provision of recorded information.

Please provide the following for the current financial year to date:

1. The hourly charge rates paid for agency nursing staff for weekend shifts. Where multiple rates apply, please provide the range and typical rates.
2. A breakdown of these hourly charge rates, including the amount paid directly to the nurse and agency fees, commissions, or other associated costs.
3. Confirmation of whether any agency nursing shifts have been filled at or above £90 per hour. If so: the number of such shifts, the total hours worked at this rate or above, and the total cost incurred.
4. The total number of agency nurses engaged for weekend shifts, and the total number of hours worked.
5. The total expenditure on agency nursing staff for weekend cover.
6. The frequency of agency nurse usage for weekend shifts.
7. Any recorded policies, business cases, or documented rationale comparing the use of agency staff versus offering enhanced pay or incentives to substantive staff for weekend shifts.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am requesting recorded information held by the organisation. If any part of this request exceeds the appropriate cost limit, please provide the information up to that limit and advise how the request may be refined.

Kindest regards

Susie Colley
Chair of the Torquay Chamber of Commerce and the Heart Campaign