HSE paid single agency €29m last year for staff

A firm supplying agency staff to the HSE was paid over €29m last year.

CPL received €29.26m from the HSE last year, almost double the amount the firm received in 2010.

Overall, agency costs rose 15% last year to €176.5m from €153.3m. In 2009, the spend was €108.3m.

A framework agreement put in place last year to ensure better value for money resulted in the bigger firms enjoying a much larger portion of the payments made. The top five firms shared €105.2m last year — compared to €62.4m in 2010.

The payments included:

* Nurse on Call Ltd: €26.8m in 2011, compared to €16.9m in 2010.

* Global Medics: €22.7m in 2011, €15m in 2010.

* Locum Express: €17.7m in 2011, €7.7m in 2010.

* TTM Healthcare: €8.6m in 2011, €6.9m in 2010.

A spokeswoman for the HSE said: “The HSE has reduced expenditure on agency to date by approximately 8% compared to the same period last year.”

HSE national director Laverne McGuinness wrote to regional directors last month demanding controls be put in place to achieve “a near zero tolerance” to the use of agency staff.

No agency cover is permitted for management/administrative grades; staff on sick leave must not be automatically replaced; and efficient rosters, patient/staff ratios and redeployment of staff should be maximised.

“It is the responsibility of each regional director… to put in place robust processes which ensure that all possible staffing options are considered prior to the use of agency staff,” she stated.