Over reliance on Agency Staff is adding multimillion Euro pressure on HSE budget – Fleming

Published on: 13 July 2012


Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Public Expenditure Seán Fleming has said the government should immediately review the use of Agency Staff within the HSE after it was revealed that over 5,000 people are filling posts including nursing, healthcare assistants, social care workers and doctors.  The total estimated cost for agency workers in the health system in 2012 is estimated to be in excess of €200m.

In response to a Parliamentary Question from Deputy Fleming the HSE has revealed that 1705 whole time equivalent posts are currently filled by agency workers but that as ‘many agency staff do not work up to the full hours for the grade like directly employed HSE staff, therefore I would estimate the actual number of people covering WTE hours outlined could be a multiple of three.’

Category

Average weekly WTE

Nursing

725

Healthcare Assistants

486

Allied Health Professionals

237

Social Care Workers

117

Doctors

140

Total

1705

Deputy Fleming said: “Effectively, as many as 5,115 jobs (1,705 Whole Time Equivalent posts X 3 people = 5,115) in the HSE are being filled by agency staff at much higher rates than those employed in the public service.  There’s no question that this is increasing pressure on an already out-of-control HSE budget.

“The Minister for Health James Reilly has had his eye off the ball.  He failed to bring forward realistic estimates for the year and seems incapable of bringing this crisis under control.  The real fear now is that the cost of his failure will be borne by patients across the country.  This agency staff fiasco needs urgent attention and I am seeking an urgent explanation of how it has been allowed to escalate to the extent it has.”

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