Home / Health / NI Health Trusts Spent £160M on Agency Nurses
NI Health Trusts Spent £160M on Agency Nurses
27 May
Summary
- Northern Ireland spent over £160m on agency nurses in one year.
- Agency nurse costs have tripled in six years, reaching £160 million.
- Additional 2,195 nurses needed for safe staffing levels in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland's health trusts have spent more than £160 million on agency nurses in a single year. This expenditure, which has tripled over the past six years, is in addition to the £1.1 billion spent on permanent nursing staff. The auditor general's report indicates a deficit of 2,195 nurses required for safe and effective care.
The Department of Health stated that the use of agency staff is a measure to ensure "safe and effective" services can be maintained. A planning group has been established to reduce unsustainable agency and locum spending across health and social care (HSC).
Despite efforts to eliminate off-contract agency use, agency nursing costs remain high due to vacancies, demand, and inadequate workforce planning. The report revealed that some agency nurses in Northern Ireland were paid up to 64% more than their counterparts in England, and £11 per hour more than directly hired bank nurses.
If agency staff had been paid at the same rate as directly hired staff, Northern Ireland could have saved an estimated £186 million over the past four years. The auditor general stressed the need for effective planning and management of temporary staff to ensure long-term service sustainability and recommended targeted actions to reduce agency nursing usage and expenditure.
