HSE Agency Spending Surges to €726M, Vulnerable Patients at Risk

URGENT UPDATE: The Health Service Executive (HSE) is increasingly relying on temporary agency staff to care for the most vulnerable patients, shocking new figures reveal. The total spending on agency staff has surged to an alarming €726 million in the past year, raising concerns about the quality of care for individuals with disabilities, the elderly, and mental health service users.

Staff shortages are at crisis levels, with the HSE warning that it sometimes cannot fill vacancies even through agencies. The struggle to recruit health workers is compounded by a lack of available accommodation for them, officials say. As the agency spending skyrockets, critics are calling for immediate action to address this urgent issue.

The breakdown of spending shows that hospitals have incurred the highest costs, totaling €304.7 million last year. Older people’s services followed with €118.9 million, while mental health services accounted for €106.3 million and disability services reached €77.9 million. Each of these critical categories has seen year-on-year increases, with spending on older people’s services nearly doubling from €64.5 million to €118.9 million.

In a concerning trend, individuals utilizing mental health and disability services are facing extended waiting lists as demand rises. The figures indicate that temporary staff are being used to fill gaps in these essential areas. For instance, spending on disability services leapt from €40 million four years ago to €77.9 million last year, already reaching €37.2 million by May this year. Similarly, mental health services’ agency costs rose from €71.5 million in 2021 to €106.3 million, with €48.5 million spent by May 2025.

The HSE’s corporate finance general manager, Sarah Anderson, expressed that retaining key staff remains a constant challenge, directly impacting the ability to maintain safe and effective services. “At times, the HSE has been unable to fill a vacancy even via agency,” she stated, emphasizing that agencies themselves are struggling to recruit due to limited availability and high accommodation costs.

These alarming figures were disclosed to Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane, who criticized the ongoing over-reliance on agency spending. “Despite the Government’s health productivity and savings taskforce, we are still witnessing year-on-year increases,” he remarked. He pointed to the Government’s arbitrary recruitment limits under the pay and numbers strategy as a significant barrier to hiring essential staff.

Cullinane called for an “ambitious and realistic workforce plan” that includes stringent targets to drastically reduce escalating agency expenditures. He described the current strategy as “sticking plaster solutions” and emphasized the urgent need for sustainable staffing solutions to ensure that essential services are not compromised.

As the situation develops, the public is urged to remain vigilant regarding the impact on vulnerable populations, with many depending on consistent and reliable care. The call for reform and a comprehensive workforce strategy has never been more critical in light of these pressing challenges.