Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to ensure that all registered NHS agency workers are deployed to help tackle covid-19.

The National Health Service has mobilised a large number of clinical and non-clinical staff to manage the challenges posed by the pandemic, including those retired and those who normally work in the private sector.

In addition, the NHS has a robust temporary staffing supply chain to ensure it can bring in the right people at the right time to deal with fluctuations in demand.

During the pandemic, we have also seen increasing numbers of staff sign up to NHS staff banks, which are pools of flexible resource that can be deployed as an alternative to the use of staffing agencies. Bank staff provide good continuity of care and value for money, and we continue to actively encourage and support trusts to further develop these banks.