article_snippet.sent: NHS bosses have today come under fire after NHS bosses emerged a hospital paid a temporary nurse £2,200 to cover a single 12-hour shift.
article_snippet.sent: The trust, which runs the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, has been criticised for wasting taxpayers' money.
article_snippet.sent: Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Taxpayers will be aghast at the cost of just one shift. '
article_snippet.sent: You can't open a newspaper without hearing how tight finances are in the NHS, but the service has to become far more efficient with the money the service already has.'
article_snippet.sent: Edmund Stubbs, from independent think tank Civitas, added: 'It is evident that a lack of staff is leading to excessive spending on agency staff, locums and overseas recruitment.'
article_snippet.sent: Defending their spending, Sarah Bloomfield, director of nursing at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said temporary staff had to be used to cover a shortfall in trained nurses.
article_snippet.sent: She highlighted their situation is one shared by many hospitals across the UK.
article_snippet.sent: Defending the spend Sarah Bloomfield, director of nursing at the trust, said temporary staff had to be used to cover a shortfall in trained nurses.
article_snippet.sent: NHS spending on temporary staff has rocketed to a staggering £2.5 billion a year because of a chronic shortage of British nurses.
highlights_snippet.sent: Hospital said temporary staff have to be used to cover staffing shortfalls .