AQW 18487/17-22


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 06/05/2021
Answered On Date: 17/05/2021
Priority Written: No


Question:
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.


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