SOAS FACT Day 6

WESTERN TRUST – £32m SPENT ON ‘LOCUM DOCTOR’ COSTS LAST YEAR

Recent information from the Department of Health shows that the Western Trust has the highest ‘locum doctor’ costs across Northern Ireland.

The figures from last year (2023/24) show that the Western Trust spent £32.2 million on Locum doctors.

The next highest figure is £31.8 million which was spent by the Belfast Trust. It is worth noting that the Belfast Trust has more twice the number of doctors that the Western Trust has (1,080 doctors compared to 453 in the Western Trust).

The Dept of Health do state that these costs are not sustainable. The Dept of Health also states that the expenditure is required to ensure that ‘safe and effective services’ are sustained.

SOAS agrees with Dept of Health that it is preferable to have as small a number of locum doctors as is achievable. It is clear though that it is unavoidable at present.

The Western Trust refuses to consider employing locums in SWAH to the vacant Consultant Surgeon posts. However, it is clearly the practice across everywhere in Northern Ireland – apart from in SWAH – to employ as many locums as are required to deliver that ‘safe and effective service’.

We ask why is this the case?

What is different about a life from Fermanagh and South Tyrone?

We know from the last Consultant Surgeon job description published by the Western Trust that 4 locum Consultant Surgeons have been employed on the Altnagelvin site since the suspension of surgery in SWAH. The employment of these 4 locums is the only means by which the Western Trust can accommodate the influx of surgical patients from SWAH.

We ask – quite reasonably – why these 4 locum Consultant Surgeons could not be based in SWAH alongside the consultant surgeon staffing there already? This would mean emergency surgery could be restored to SWAH – while a more sustainable long-term solution can be developed and implemented.

Again, what is different about a life from Fermanagh and South Tyrone?

It genuinely seems that there is money in healthcare – but that it is being denied to ensuring safe and effective emergency cover in the SWAH area.

We know that our health service is near to collapse. This is something that all of us need to be aware of and work together to help ensure that the required transformation of health and social care leads to a ‘safe and effective service’ for every single person in Northern Ireland.

No-one should be left behind.

There can be no second-class citizens in Northern Ireland.