Channel 4 News, June 26, 2007 Health chiefs are spending more on temporary nursing staff, figures have revealed. Less is being spent on employing agency nurses, but that saving is more than offset by an increase on "bank" nursing staff, who are employed by the NHS. Figures from NHS Scotland show the number of agency non-fully qualified nursing staff used increased by 7.4%, while the amount of registered nursing and midwife staff hired fell by 43.5%. The overall amount spent decreased by £8 million, 30.5%, as health boards made far greater use of "bank" nurses. They are health service employees who can be called on, often at short notice, to cover both planned and unplanned absences. ... NHS