Hundreds of locums are paid a quarter of a million pounds a year, revealing the scale at which the NHS is “throwing money” at doctors to plug staff shortages PA

Stand-in doctors are ripping off cash-strapped hospitals by demanding fees of up to £4,000 a day, an NHS watchdog has said.

Hundreds of locums are paid a quarter of a million pounds a year, according to figures seen by The Times. They reveal the scale at which the NHS is “throwing money” at doctors to plug staff shortages.

NHS leaders say that locum doctors are pocketing £300 million a year that should be used for treating patients, in their most outspoken criticism yet of high-paid stand-ins.

However, doctors reacted angrily to being blamed for a problem that they say has resulted from poor planning by managers who have not trained enough staff.

Waiting times are at their highest for a decade as the NHS fails…