Rising reliance on agency staff fuels pressure on hospital workforce strategy

Agency staffing at St Luke’s General Hospital for Carlow and Kilkenny has cost €28.8m since 2023, with €12m spent in 2024 alone – a 61% increase since 2021. Local representatives have criticised the surge, warning that it reflects systemic failures in recruitment and retention.

The HSE attributes agency use to critical service needs, higher patient demand and constraints linked to recruitment limits. While outsourcing provides cover for vacancies and complex care needs, it is driving escalating costs and intensifying scrutiny of workforce planning.

Critics argue that without a sustainable recruitment and retention strategy, the system risks becoming locked into premium spending on temporary staff, undermining both efficiency and care delivery.

Read the full article to explore how workforce planning challenges are reshaping the future of hospital staffing.