17th August 2026
HSC Chief Executives have confirmed that plans to reduce agency usage in Northern Ireland’s health trusts will be further accelerated, helping to strengthen continuity of care, support permanent staffing teams and enhance patient safety.
Building on the significant progress already made in reducing agency use across social work, nursing and midwifery roles, new arrangements will be introduced from October 2026 to further support the agency reduction programme.
This next phase will see health trusts accelerate current plans to progressively eliminate reliance on agency staffing during 2026/27 and beyond, with the expectation that temporary staffing requirements will increasingly be met through substantive employment, strengthened Trust bank arrangements and regionally agreed HSC workforce solutions.
It is recognised that there will continue to be limited circumstances where the use of agency staff is necessary to maintain safe services and continuity of care. However, the current level of agency use is not sustainable, nor is it in the best interests of staff or patients.
By further reducing agency use, Trusts will be able to provide greater continuity of care for patients, strengthen teams and create a more consistent working environment for HSC staff.
This drive to reduce agency use is also key to helping trusts reduce expenditure and protect frontline services in what is an exceptionally challenging financial environment for the HSC.
Speaking on behalf of Trust Chief Executives, Karen Hargan from the Western Trust, said: “We know that agency staff have played an important role in helping the HSC maintain services, particularly at times of significant pressure, and there will continue to be circumstances where temporary staffing is needed.
“However, the current level of agency use is simply not sustainable, financially or from a workforce perspective. Stable, substantive teams provide greater continuity for patients, stronger working relationships and a better environment for our staff.
“We have already seen the benefits of the work undertaken across the HSC to reduce agency reliance, with use significantly reduced and, in some areas, eliminated altogether. This work builds on several years of progress across the HSC to strengthen controls on agency staffing, reduce off-contract usage and ensure that agency staff are used appropriately and consistently across the system.
“Our focus now is to go further by significantly reducing agency use and eliminating it wherever safe and sustainable alternatives can be put in place, recognising that some workforce groups and specialties face more complex staffing challenges than others.
“As Chief Executives, we have taken the decision to accelerate this work because we need to make the best possible use of every pound available to us and protect the resources that support frontline services. This is about more than reducing expenditure. It is about building a stronger, more stable and sustainable HSC workforce for the long term, while continuing to provide safe, high-quality care for our patients.”
Trusts will continue to stabilise their workforce through substantive recruitment, retention and workforce planning initiatives, while streamlining recruitment processes and strengthening internal staff bank arrangements. Alongside reducing agency expenditure, Trusts are actively expanding and reforming nursing and midwifery staff banks to provide attractive, flexible employment opportunities within HSC, helping to ensure workforce stability and continuity of care for patients.