The amount spent by the Liberal minority government on agency and locum staff across the health system has exploded over the last few years, and it’s costing Tasmanian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Liberal minority government relies on huge numbers of agency and locum staff across the health system, instead of directly employing health workers. It costs between twice and three times more per position to use agency and locum staff compared to just directly employing health workers.
It was revealed during Estimates that the government spends at least $76 million on agency nurses and at least $105 million on locum doctors. That’s $182 million per year on outsourced staff.
RTI documents obtained by Labor show:
- Agency nursing costs have increased from $14 million in 2020-21 to almost $77 million in 2023-24.
- Medical locum costs have blown out from $33 million in 2019-20 to over $105 million in 2023-24.
- Combined locum costs have more than tripled from $57 million to over $182 million in the last three years.
These shocking figures make it clear the Liberal minority government is failing to recruit and retain health workers, and it’s part of the reason they’ve completely blown the budget.
How much worse is it going to get under the Liberal minority government? On this trajectory, agency and locum staff costs will hit half a billion dollars by the end of the decade.
The government should be focused on building a sustainable Tasmanian Health Service by addressing staffing levels, working conditions, and directly employing a strong and stable workforce.
Instead, they’re focused on slashing at least $600 million from the health service across the forward estimates, abolishing positions via their Vacancy Control Board, and scaling back from urgently needed infrastructure projects like the emergency department expansion at the RHH.
Ella Haddad MP
Shadow Minister for Health
