Union tells Northern Health Trust 'financial pressures must not result in staff being moved onto bank arrangements'
Trade union Unison has voiced concern over health care workers undertaking additional hours through staffing “bank arrangements”.
Speaking at a meeting of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board at Antrim Hospital, on Thursday, Unison official James Large acknowledged the financial pressures across Northern Ireland’s health and social care trusts.
“We increasingly hear concerns that staff are being expected and encouraged to undertake additional hours through bank arrangements. This is a serious concern. This is not isolated to one area. It happens across other Trusts also,” he said.
The Unison representative went on to say it is a “workforce issue and a governance issue”.
He claimed such use can result in “significant workforce ramifications”, adding that permanent staff are already “working under considerable pressure”.
“Existing staff are often expected to absorb additional workload,” he said.
He indicated this can result in “low morale and greater sickness absence” and “creates a false economy”. He stated additional hours should first be offered to staff members.
“Health and social care cannot build a stable future on an increasing casualisation of the workforce,” Mr Large stated.
In an online post issued after the meeting, Unison said: “Unison addressed the Northern Trust Board to raise serious concerns about the growing casualisation of the HSC (Health and Social Care) workforce.
“We highlighted concerns that financial pressures must not result in staff being moved onto bank arrangements or being paid overtime at flat rate instead of receiving overtime in line with ‘Agenda for Change’ terms and conditions.
“We also highlighted that agency staff were being overused causing further instability of the workforce. A casual workforce is an unstable workforce. Undermining nationally agreed terms and conditions is not the answer to financial challenges.”
A total spend of £71.3m on agency staff during the last financial year by the Northern Trust was reported at last month’s board meeting. Of this, 26.2% (£18.6m) was on “off-framework agencies” with nursing, healthcare assistants and medical locum agency spend representing 78% of the total agency spend.
The report added: “The Trust continues to experience a shortfall in the recruitment and retention of mainly medical and nursing staff. As a result, there is a reliance on high cost off-contract agency appointments. This continues to be a financial pressure, which will impact into 2026/27.”
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter