“Agencies would go out of business tomorrow if the NHS did what it was supposed to do and was a bit more flexible,” said Adrian Moss, managing director of healthcare recruiter Careplus.

Moss was speaking out against unnecessary pressure from the government to toughen rules governing work permits for non-European nurses.

The rules were strengthened in March this year to prevent overseas nurses with work permits from using agency work to top up their income. Non-European nurses who work for the NHS, or for private hospitals and care homes, can earn additional income through NHS trusts if they work outside their normal shifts and within similar a medical field.

But, unlike British nurses, they are not permitted to use private recruitment agencies where they can earn higher rates.