A Clare-based HSE Patient Advocate claims the health service is being run “like a business” instead of as a public service.
It comes as it’s been revealed that the HSE has spent over €140 million on agency staffing since the beginning of 2024, with expenditure this year tipped to reach to €80 million.
Responding to a question from Doonbeg Fianna Fáil Councillor Rita McInerney, HSE Mid West has revealed that between January 1st 2024 and March 31st of this year, it spent €142.8 million on agency staffing.
In 2024, agency staff wages came to over €56 million and this rose to just shy of €68 million last year.
With almost €19 million expended by the HSE on agency workers in the Midwest in the first three months of 2026, it’s expected costs could go as high as €80 million by the end of the year.
Councillor McInerney says while agency staff have a role to play, direct recruitment needs to be prioritised.
Commenting on its reliance on agency workers, HSE Mid West says “recruitment and retention of key clinical and patient-facing staff is a challenge for healthcare providers both nationally and internationally”.
It claims “the use of agency staff is to provide rapid staffing solutions during crises or unexpected surges in demand or when permanent staff are unavailable due to illness, leave, or vacancies.
Additionally, it says “agency staff are also used to maintain service continuity and stand-up services while recruitment for permanent posts take place”.
HSE Mid West insists “a number of targeted measures have been progressed to enhance direct recruitment and support staff retention” and that “a targeted initiative is in progress to reduce the reliance on agency staffing via conversion”.
Lahinch-based Patient Advocate on HSE Mid West’s Programme Improvement Board John Wall believes the service is “running to stand still” due to recruitment difficulties.
You can listen to the full interview here:
