Employers of domiciliary care workers in Northern Ireland report staff quitting due to funding shortfalls from the Department of Health. Pauline Shepherd, CEO of The Independent Health and Care Providers, which represents over 300 employers, stated the department's annual tariff increased by 78p per worker this year. She noted employer costs rose by about £2.50 per worker.

Shepherd said providers cannot cover the difference, leading carers to leave for jobs in hospitality or retail with comparable pay but less difficulty. The group claims this scarcity of care packages blocks patient discharges from hospitals, lengthening waiting lists.

The health minister committed to paying domiciliary care workers the real living wage from September but later indicated funding constraints prevented it, according to Shepherd. Providers now question if tariffs support even the statutory minimum wage after absorbing legal and employer cost hikes, she added.

A Department of Health spokesman said the tariff uplift matches the national living wage, covers employer National Insurance changes, and includes extra inflation adjustments. He noted independent providers might assess costs differently based on their operations.

The spokesman mentioned recent fuel cost increases affect care workers, with ongoing government-wide discussions. Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly, deputy chair of Stormont’s health committee, called domiciliary care workers essential to the health service and deserving of fair pay.

Donnelly proposed the minister reduce waste in segregated community care to fund better wages and plans to contact the minister soon.