Increasing use of agency staff by HSE for care of older people 'a healthcare risk', advocates warns

'The agency staffing numbers are like a canary in the coalmine, it’s a warning to us that in this system — which we all think is creaking at the seams — that those fissures are becoming critical now.'

A doubling of agency staff use for older people’s services by the HSE is a healthcare risk and the "canary in the coalmine", warning of serious problems, Age Action has warned.

It follows a report in the Irish Examiner showing money paid to agencies in this sector almost doubled from €64.5m to €118.9m last year. Despite pledges to rein this in, it reached €52.1m spent already by May.