Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has launched a new agency framework for medical and dental locum staff in Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care system. The measure introduces a price cap on locum rates for the first time. Officials expect it to lower spending on off-framework suppliers and encourage doctors to move to permanent Trust positions.

The framework builds on efforts started by former minister Robin Swann, who formed the HSC Regional Agency Reduction Implementation Group in March 2020. A nursing and midwifery framework followed in May 2023. Registered nurse and midwife agency spending dropped 22.3% from 2022/23 to 2024/25, with off-contract use nearly eliminated.

Progress extends to other areas. Social work ceased off-framework agency on 31 March 2023 and all agency use by 30 June 2023. Admin and clerical agency spend fell 9%, and support services 7% over the same period.

A medical and dental agency reduction group, led by Neil Guckian and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Lourda Geoghegan, has outlined 16 workstreams for the next year. These complement the framework to further cut locum reliance and support workforce stability across HSC Trusts.