NEARLY half a million pounds has already been spent on agency staff at a Hampshire hospital that only opened six months ago.

The Lymington New Forest Hospital has been forced to bring in scores of agency nursing and medical staff until a deal that will see the NHS hospital run by a private company is signed.

Partnership Healthcare Group (PHG) will run the hospital, pictured, which opened in December. The company was due to take it over next month, but this has now been delayed until the autumn.

Union representatives of permanent nursing staff at the hospital say morale is low as jobs remain vacant.

Jacqui Bleathman, from Unison said: "Staff are under enormous pressure at the moment and the hospital is not running at full capacity.

"It was built to take on more patients, but it has not been able to do that yet. It's running at a 60 to 70 per cent occupancy at the moment. Morale is really getting low among staff. After the excitement of moving to the lovely new hospital, they are having to deal with all these problems. Until they reach commercial close, they cannot fill any posts permanently."

Bobby Noyes, chairman of the Southampton branch of Unison, added: "They are spending more and more money on agency staff and staff are working horrendous hours."

A spokesman for Hampshire Primary Care Trust, which is running the hospital until PHG takes it over, said: "This is the first scheme of its type in England and due to its complex nature, contractual and mobilisation arrangements are still being finalised.

"During these negotiations, we have not recruited to some vacant posts. We are continually reviewing our staffing arrangements and will be actively recruiting permanent staff over the next few weeks."

The trust confirmed it has spent £468,000 on temporary staff in the past six months.