Hospital bosses have spent £11.4m in extra staff payments in the seven months from April to help hit waiting times.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust paid £6.5m in “additional premium payments” on bank and agency staff and £4.9m for existing staff, including weekend work.

A trust report said this is to keep up with demand and hit waiting time targets but moves are in place to recruit more permanent workers.

Latest figures – for April to November – show the trust hit 88 per cent on a key waiting target, to start treatment for at least 90 per cent of patients within 18 weeks of referral to hospital.