An investigation into the numbers of clinical incidents relating to recruitment agency nurses compared to those involving permanent staff has cleared agency staff, according to Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust (Walsall).

The inquiry was ordered by the trust’s chief executive, Sue James, in an attempt to disprove claims that temporary nurses “killed more people than they saved”.

The allegation was made by the now ex-chairman of Walsall, Barrie Blower, during a three-hour interview with Tracey Davies, whose mother had died of cancer at Walsall Manor Hospital in December 2003.

In the secretly taped interview, Blower said: “We advertise in the Philippines and in India to get nurses to be attached to the hospital to try to get rid of these agency people. They kill more people than they bloody save, these do. It’s an awful bloody set-up but we’ve got to have them.”

After excerpts were broadcast during a local TV news bulletin, Blower issued an apology, describing his remarks as “completely inappropriate and inaccurate”. He resigned a day later.

The investigation involved reconciling the data held on the trust’s clinical incident reporting system against a check of employment records.

James said: “The trust board and I have every confidence in the quality of care provided by our clinical staff.”