Cork TD told HSE spent almost €180m on agency staff in south west in four years

Nearly €180m has been spent on agency healthcare staff in the south-west region of Ireland in the last four years, new HSE figures show, as a Cork TD says that agency mental health staff are being paid 40% more than their HSE counterparts.

A breakdown of agency staff costs over the last four years was provided to Cork Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide by the HSE.

The figures show that in the South/South West Hospital Group, made up of the six Cork hospitals, as well as University Hospital Kerry and University Hospital Waterford, €34,202,323 was spent on agency staff last year.

This is an increase from €30,325,957 in 2023, €25,796,762 in 2022, and €22,573,605 in 2021.

In the primary care mental health division, €10,599,050 was spent in the south-west region — made up of Cork and Kerry — last year. This marks a rise from €10,346,215 in 2023, €7,194,334 in 2022, and €4,433,923 in 2021.

A total of €357,101 was spent on palliative care staff in the region in 2024, up from €138,188 in 2023, €85,488 in 2022, and €30,757 in 2021.

€2,085,010 was spent on disability staff last year, compared to €1,796,179, €1,469,484, and €1,459,946 in the three previous years, respectively. The cost of designated staff for older persons also rose to €5,982,665, from €3,822,523, €3,006,017, and €1,986,882 in 2023, 2022, and 2021.

In the area of primary care, €2,744,709 was spent in Cork and Kerry last year, up from €2,448,183 in 2023, but down from €3,252,109 in 2022 and €3,234,808 in 2021.

Last year in the south-west, €5,300,302 was paid to agencies for management and admin staff, €13,032,412 for medical and dental, €12,864,487 for nursing, €2,513,861 for paramedical, and €22,556,395 for support staff.

There has been a 66% increase in the cost of agency staff since 2021 in the region.

Further figures show that the monthly salary expenses for mental-health clinicians are 40% more than for directly-employed staff. A staff psychiatrist costs the HSE €9,148 a month, but agencies charge €14,233, with higher costs also for clinical nurses, staff nurses, clinical psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists.

Mr Quaide told The Echo: 

“HSE recruitment restrictions are a significant factor in this trend. It makes no sense to place a stranglehold on the recruitment of essential health service staff, while at the same time paying exorbitant sums to agencies.”

In relation to mental health, a sector Mr Quaide worked in prior to his election as a TD: “An over-reliance on agency staff makes for disjointed service development within a sector, where continuity of care and stable therapeutic relationships are all the more important.” He has called for more directly employed staff.

A HSE spokesperson said that agency staff can be used for sick absence, to replace vacancies during recruitment or as maternity leave cover, adding that they were “simultaneously running large-scale domestic and international recruitment campaigns to fill through direct employment”.

They explained: “Recruitment and retention of clinical, nursing, and other key staff is a constant challenge and impacts adversely on the ability to maintain safe and effective services”, adding that the HSE are operating within spending limits, but are also working on the issue of staffing.