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New initiative on medical and dental agency costs

21 February 2025

New initiative on medical and dental agency costs

Date published: 

It’s part of the continuing push by Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care system to control the use of agency workers and build its substantive workforce.
It follows work to phase out high-cost off contract nursing and midwifery agency workers, and a complete halt to the use of agency social workers.

Under the latest initiative, the Business Services Organisation has launched a tender process inviting suppliers to join a new framework for the supply of agency doctors and dentists for health service organisations.  The new tender will enable HSC to establish a framework of locum agencies that have been vetted and have made a commitment to meet a range of quality and governance standards and key performance indicators. It will support HSC organisations to meet their needs for flexible staffing in a safe and cost effective manner and within a framework of agreed terms and conditions.

Once the tender process is complete, Trusts and other Health and Social Care organisations will be permitted to use only those suppliers on the agreed Medical and Dental Agency Framework.

For more information: New initiative on medical and dental agency costs | Department of Health