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21/02/2025
New Initiative To Address Medical And Dental Agency Costs
A tender process has been launched for a new framework for the supply of medical and dental agency workers (locums) in Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care (HSC) system. This initiative aims to control agency worker usage and prioritise building the substantive workforce.
This follows previous efforts to phase out high-cost, off-contract nursing and midwifery agency workers and a complete halt to agency social worker use.
The Business Services Organisation is managing the tender process, seeking suppliers to join a new framework. This framework will ensure vetted agencies meet quality and governance standards and key performance indicators. HSC organisations will be required to use only approved suppliers from this framework.
"Everyone in Health and Social Care is clear that off contract expenditure is not a cost-effective use of taxpayers’ money," said Health Minister Mike Nesbitt. "It can lead to a lack of workforce continuity, with the potential to undermine safe care and staff morale. Launching the tender for the supply of agency doctors and dentists is a further step in our commitment to reduce the use of locum staffing and invest in our HSC workforce."
The new framework adds to existing ones for agency nurses, midwives, and other staff groups. Eliminating off-contract temporary staffing is a key priority.
"Controlling agency spend is the right thing to do, and not just for cost reasons," said Neil Guckian, Chief Executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust and Chair of the Regional Agency Reduction Implementation Group. "We are endeavouring to improve the health service and stabilise our workforce. Our staff have told us that excessive agency use is unfair and impacts on their morale. We deeply appreciate the commitment of our substantive workforce and we are determined to fill our vacancies, stabilise our teams and work in partnership with trade unions to strengthen and ensure the benefits of working in HSC are promoted and understood by the entire health workforce."
The tender process closes the week commencing March 24, 2025.
This follows previous efforts to phase out high-cost, off-contract nursing and midwifery agency workers and a complete halt to agency social worker use.
The Business Services Organisation is managing the tender process, seeking suppliers to join a new framework. This framework will ensure vetted agencies meet quality and governance standards and key performance indicators. HSC organisations will be required to use only approved suppliers from this framework.
The new framework adds to existing ones for agency nurses, midwives, and other staff groups. Eliminating off-contract temporary staffing is a key priority.
"Controlling agency spend is the right thing to do, and not just for cost reasons," said Neil Guckian, Chief Executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust and Chair of the Regional Agency Reduction Implementation Group. "We are endeavouring to improve the health service and stabilise our workforce. Our staff have told us that excessive agency use is unfair and impacts on their morale. We deeply appreciate the commitment of our substantive workforce and we are determined to fill our vacancies, stabilise our teams and work in partnership with trade unions to strengthen and ensure the benefits of working in HSC are promoted and understood by the entire health workforce."
The tender process closes the week commencing March 24, 2025.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
