Well being Minister Robin Swann has introduced new measures to cut back expenditure on company staffing inside well being and social care and to eradicate the usage of off-contract businesses.

The usage of off-contract businesses has contributed considerably to a rise in company employees expenditure over the past decade. Off-contract businesses are usually dearer than their on-contract counterparts. They aren’t lined by formal relationships with the well being service and are subsequently in a position to cost above contractually set costs. From 2018/19 to 2021/22; expenditure on off-contract company nursing staffing rose from £27.0m to £101m, accounting for  72.5% of all company spend for this grouping. 

The drive to cut back company spend will run in parallel with ongoing initiatives to construct the well being service workforce. These embrace sustaining nursing/midwifery college locations at their highest ever degree and extra funding to increase the variety of locations for Allied Well being Professions and undergraduate and post-graduate medical coaching.

The Minister mentioned: “The extreme monetary pressures on our well being and social care system are properly documented. Whereas I’ll proceed to relentlessly make the case for extra funding, I even have to make sure the monies we do have are used effectively and successfully.

“Ending the usage of off contract businesses has been a serious precedence for me in that regard. Equally as vital is the necessity to tackle the impression that large-scale company use can have on the morale of our well being service employees.  Overreliance on company use has a unfavourable impression on our workforce, inserting further pressures on them to assist company employees who’re unfamiliar with methods and wards.  This creates one other strain on the supply of secure and high quality care.

“I totally recognise that the rise in company use has been pushed by service and staffing pressures, significantly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Clearly due consideration must be given to continuity and high quality of service and naturally affected person security.  Some extent of company use will all the time be required, as variation in demand means further advert hoc assets will probably be wanted at occasions.

“Ending off-contract company use and decreasing total company spend is not going to occur in a single day nor will or not it’s a ache free possibility. Nevertheless it has to occur.”

Setting out how the elimination off contract company use will probably be achieved, the Minister continued: “A brand new well being service procurement course of will probably be launched within the coming days for businesses who want to present nursing and midwifery company employees to HSC. Companies who’ve remained exterior contractual frameworks now have a transparent selection. I might encourage them to work with us on a contractual footing – or face an finish to their revenue from the well being service and taxpayers.

“I look ahead to transferring ahead collegiately with these businesses who decide in to the brand new contract.”

The brand new public procurement course of for businesses offering nursing and midwifery employees will probably be launched by the HSC’s Enterprise Companies Organisation (BSO). The expectation is that these businesses who’re profitable in securing a spot on the framework will begin offering companies to HSC in February 2023.

Procurements are additionally deliberate for the provision of medical and dental locum employees. There will probably be additional work to carry to an finish the usage of Social Employees employed by recruitment businesses in Trusts by June 2023.

The sustained drive to cut back company prices will probably be accompanied by reform of the HSC Trusts’ Employees Banks to make them a extra engaging possibility for employees wishing to work further hours.

The Minister added: “I need a well being service that instils a way of delight in people who work for it and I need to encourage extra well being care professionals again into our workforce.

“The advantages of working for the HSC system embrace job safety, an excellent pension scheme, paid annual and sick depart, life insurance coverage, maternity depart and organisational assist for coaching and profession improvement and development.”