Robin Swann has warned that ending the usage of off-contract businesses to workers the crisis-hit well being service will likely be a painful however vital measure.
The well being minister has additionally mentioned efforts to cease the usage of off-contract businesses will likely be a prolonged course of, with present annual spend on nurses recruited by off-contract companies standing at greater than £100m.
It comes after the Belfast Telegraph revealed on Wednesday that the Division of Well being’s everlasting secretary had directed the well being trusts to scale back off-contract company spend this 12 months by £15m because the well being service faces a projected £450m deficit.
Mr Swann has now launched particulars of plans to assist cash-strapped well being chiefs to start to deal with the crippling prices which have come about on account of the disaster going through the NHS workforce.
A rising variety of healthcare workers are leaving their NHS jobs to take up positions in businesses the place they're paid extra money and dealing situations are higher.
Well being trusts should first attempt to recruit workers by on-contract businesses and, the place all different avenues are exhausted, they're allowed to show to off-contract businesses, that are sometimes costlier than their on-contract counterparts.
They don't seem to be coated by formal relationships with the well being service and are subsequently capable of cost above contractually set costs.
From 2018/19 to 2021/22, expenditure on off-contract company nursing staffing rose from £27m to £101m, accounting for 72.5% of all company spend for this grouping.
In an announcement issued this morning, Mr Swann mentioned: “The extreme monetary pressures on our well being and social care system are nicely 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 necessary is the necessity to tackle the impression that large-scale company use can have on the morale of our well being service workers.
“Overreliance on company use has a damaging impression on our workforce, putting further pressures on them to help company workers who're unfamiliar with programs and wards.
“This creates one other stress on the availability of secure and high quality care.
“I totally recognise that the rise in company use has been pushed by service and staffing pressures, notably in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Clearly due consideration should be given to continuity and high quality of service and naturally affected person security.
“A point of company use will all the time be required, as variation in demand means further advert hoc assets will likely be wanted at instances.
“Ending off-contract company use and lowering total company spend won't occur in a single day, nor will or not it's a pain-free choice, but it surely has to occur.”
Setting out how the elimination of contract company use will likely be achieved, the minister signalled an intention to take a powerful stance towards recruitment businesses.
He mentioned: “A brand new well being service procurement course of will likely be launched within the coming days for businesses who want to present nursing and midwifery company workers to HSC.
“Businesses who've remained exterior contractual frameworks now have a transparent alternative. I'd encourage them to work with us on a contractual footing — or face an finish to their earnings from the well being service and taxpayers.
“I look ahead to shifting ahead collegiately with these businesses who choose into the brand new contract.”
The £15m discount in spend is to be remodeled and above any financial savings made by the introduction of a brand new contract for recruitment businesses.
The brand new public procurement course of for businesses offering nursing and midwifery workers will likely be launched by the HSC’s Enterprise Providers Organisation (BSO).
The expectation is that these businesses who're profitable in securing a spot on the framework will begin offering providers to HSC in February 2023.