AQW 18487/17-22 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health how much each Health and Social Care Trust has spent on agency nursing staff in each of the last five years.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 6 May 2021
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 6 May 2021
- Answer due by
- 21 May 2021
- Answered
- 17 May 202111 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Trust expenditure on agency staff has been incurred to ensure that safe and effective services are sustained and contributes importantly to maintaining service provision to patients and clients. HSC Trusts employ locum staff for several reasons, for example, cover for sickness and maternity/paternity leave; cover for existing vacancies; and when demand increases over the winter months. The primary aim of this is to ensure that safe and effective services are sustained at all times for patients and clients.
The Department monitors Health and Social Care Trusts’ expenditure on agency staff on a quarterly basis for specific staffing categories, across financial years. Information is not collected by service area. Expenditure on Agency Staff by Health and Social Care Trust, for the last five financial years, is given below. The last available data, currently available, for a complete financial year is 19/20.
The Department is committed to sustained investment in growing the local nursing and midwifery workforce to meet ever increasing demands, for example, this year we have commissioned the highest ever number (1,325) of pre-registration nursing and midwifery training places.
Nursing and Midwifery Agency Expenditure
| TRUST | Financial Year 15-16 | Financial Year 18-19 | Financial Year 18-19 | Financial Year 18-19 | Financial Year 19-20 |
| BHSCT | £6,668,756 | £9,467,147 | £12,529,388 | £19,231,230 | £38,494,367 |
| NHSCT | £3,297,233 | £6,810,643 | £9,153,695 | £11,028,899 | £15,375,590 |
| SEHSCT | £2,047,749 | £1,877,793 | £3,144,583 | £3,904,493 | £5,695,567 |
| SHSCT | £1,399,191 | £2,423,601 | £3,758,100 | £10,843,948 | £20,056,606 |
| WHSCT | £2,391,544 | £2,965,126 | £3,571,683 | £7,062,151 | £10,157,845 |
| NIAS | £0 | £0 | £5,440 | £1,020 | £0 |
| TOTAL SPEND | £15,804,473 | £23,544,310 | £32,162,889 | £52,071,741 | £89,779,974 |
Source: HSC Trusts