Is It Time to Re-Evaluate Your Agency Spend?

Person reviewing agency costs with a calculator and financial report

When was the last time you reviewed your agency costs?

If it’s been over a year, there’s a strong chance you’re overpaying. Not because of any major mistake – but because staffing arrangements that feel familiar can quietly slip out of line with today’s market.

At Vela, we speak to Primary Care services every week that are still locked into outdated agency rates, unaware they’re paying more than they need to for the same level of cover.

Familiarity comes at a cost

It’s easy to stick with the same agency year after year. The process feels smooth, the people are friendly, and on the surface, everything seems fine. But what we often uncover is this:

  • Rates agreed years ago are no longer benchmarked to the market
  • Lack of visibility around what’s included in the fee
  • No comparison point to know whether it’s still good value

You might be paying a legacy rate that no longer reflects the current supply-and-demand dynamic for Primary Care professionals. Or you might be paying for extra margins and mark-ups that were never made clear in the first place.

Why it matters

Unnecessary spend doesn’t just affect budgets. It affects decisions. Practices under cost pressure are more likely to delay filling shifts, rely on short-term locums, or risk service gaps — all of which can disrupt continuity of care.

Even small inefficiencies, multiplied over multiple rotas, roles, or months, can quietly snowball into significant overspend.

What Vela offers instead

We believe in transparency as standard. Every consultant at Vela has over a decade of experience in Primary Care recruitment, and our model is built on clarity and consistency.

Here’s what we offer:

  • A free, no-obligation cost review to benchmark your current agency setup
  • A clear view of what you’re paying, what others are paying and what better could look like
  • Transparent pricing with no hidden mark-ups or unexpected fees

You don’t need to make a switch to benefit from a clearer view. There’s no pressure to act on the comparison if it’s not right for you. We simply believe that better decisions start with better visibility.

A smarter setup starts with a clearer view

If it’s been a while since you reviewed your agency costs, we’d be happy to take a look. You might find your setup is working perfectly – or you might uncover ways to improve value without compromising service.

Either way, you’ll know where you stand.