A HSE sticking plaster that has cost us €2bn

THE HSE has spent more than €2billion since 2010 on hiring temporary agency staff.

The figures, which were released to Sinn Féin health spokeswoman Louise O’Reilly through a parliamentary question, show that in 2018 the HSE spent €318.3million on agency staff – more than double the €135.9million spent in 2010.

The overall spend on agency staff in 2018 went up by some 9%, or €26million, compared to 2017.

The Labour Court recently recommended a reduction in HSE agency staff to pay for nurses’ and midwives’ pay increases.

Ms O’Reilly said: ‘The over-reliance on the use of costly and more expensive agency staff is crippling the health service. Last year agency spending reached a new record high of €318million – this was a €26million increase on 2017 and the biggest increase since 2014.

‘The situation is outrageous – and make no doubt about it, this is as big a scandal as the National Children’s Hospital overspend.’

The HSE said the expenditure should be considered in the overall context including rising demand for services.

‘The HSE is working to reduce reliance on agency staff as much as possible and places significant focus in its pay and staff strategy and in its annual workforce planning in managing the cost of agency staff. An increase in demand for services last year led to a greater reliance on agency staff,’ the HSE said in a statement.