The shift rate will drop by up to £62 across the governing NHS trust in a move said to have caused “panic” among staff. The changes are outlined in a letter to staff from Ali Koeltgen, chief people officer at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. "Whether you are waiting for an operation or for a baby to be delivered, it all relies on temporary staff and extra hours. "Some of our temporary staffing rates are higher than both regional benchmarks and those paid by other NHS organisations. "Over recent years we have deliberately increased substantive staffing in a number of areas, reducing our reliance on temporary staffing.