The NHS will be banned from hiring agency workers under plans backed by Wes Streeting.
The Health Secretary wants to stop hospitals spending ‘eye-watering sums’ on temporary staff to plug shortages of nurses and doctors.
The NHS spent £3 billion on such workers last year, with agencies charging up to £2,000 for a single nursing shift.
Under the plans, NHS Trusts could be banned from using agency staff for entry-level jobs such as healthcare assistants and domestic support workers.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is backing plans to ban NHS trusts from hiring agency workers
The NHS spent £3billion bringing in workers last year from agencies, which can charge up to £2,000 for a single nursing shift
Firms could also be banned from putting forward staff who have recently left permanent jobs within the NHS.
The plans will be put out for consultation by NHS England in the coming weeks.
Mr Streeting told The Mail on Sunday: ‘For too long desperate hospitals have been forced to pay eye-watering sums on temporary staff, costing the taxpayer billions, and pulling experienced staff out of the NHS.
‘We’re not going to let the NHS get ripped off any more.’
Mr Streeting will announce a series of reforms at a meeting with healthcare leaders in Liverpool on Wednesday.