THE Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust spent more than £1million on temporary doctors, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has shown.

Between February 1 and April 30, the trust spent £1,117,710.97 for locum doctors, the FOI request shows.

A locum doctor is a medical professional who fills a temporary role, either due to another doctor's absence or because a medical facility needs extra assistance.

The lion’s share was spent on consultants.

More than £200,000 was spent on ophthalmology, with over £120,000 spent on urology.

The agencies used by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust include: Athona Ltd; Global Medics; ID Medical; Interact Medical; Medacs Healthcare Plc; Medecho Ltd and Medilink Consulting.