NHS trusts spend £700 million a year on temporary staff for A&E hospitals hit by a staffing crisis, reports the Express.co.uk with data from a health select committee report. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine also said 145 NHS trusts pay out a total of £13.5 million a week to cover hospital A&Es. Patient groups have warned about temporary staff not knowing specific hospital procedures, which can put patients at risk. The report also warns of trusts bidding against each other for temporary workers. Last year, a cap on the amount that NHS trusts can pay agency staff came into effect.