NHS Employers Warns £900 Million Cost From Zero-Hours Reforms, Urges Pause
Updated
Updated · National Health Executive · Aug 24
NHS Employers Warns £900 Million Cost From Zero-Hours Reforms, Urges Pause
2 articles · Updated · National Health Executive · Aug 24
Summary
£900 million in recurring annual costs could hit NHS organisations in England under proposed zero-hours contract reforms, NHS Employers said, urging ministers to pause implementation and run a full impact assessment.
More than 800 extra administrative staff and about 610 whole-time equivalent managers would be needed to handle monitoring, compliance, workforce planning and payroll, alongside compensation for cancelled shifts and system upgrades.
The group says the rules would clash with NHS staffing realities because trusts depend on internal staff banks to cover sickness, seasonal demand and emergencies at short notice while maintaining 24-hour care.
About 85% of NHS bank workers already hold substantive NHS contracts, and 74% of bank-only workers surveyed said they can currently work the shifts and hours they want, supporting the case for preserving flexibility.
NHS Employers backs curbs on exploitative practices but wants exemptions for additional bank work, emergency cover and some short-notice cancellations to avoid pushing trusts toward costlier agency staffing.