The NHS will be banned from hiring agency workers under plans backed by Wes Streeting.

The health secretary wants to prevent hospitals from spending “huge sums” on temporary staff to fill shortages of nurses and doctors.

The NHS spent £3 billion on these workers last year, with agencies charging up to £2,000 for a single nurse shift.

Under the plans, NHS Trusts could be banned from using agency staff for entry-level jobs such as healthcare assistants and domestic help.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting is backing plans to ban NHS trusts from hiring agency workers.

Last year the NHS spent £3bn bringing in staff from agencies, who can charge up to £2,000 for a single nursing shift.

Firms could also be banned from offering staff who have recently left permanent employment in 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 huge sums for temporary staff, costing taxpayers billions and removing experienced staff from the NHS.”

“We’re not going to let the NHS get ripped off again.”

Mr Streeting will announce a series of reforms at a meeting with health care leaders in Liverpool on Wednesday.