Northern Trust records surplus but agency staff bill tops £71m

Alongside midwifery-led unit is under construction at Antrim Area Hospital.

The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has warned that “financial challenges can be expected to continue into the financial year”.

Suzanne Pullins was speaking at last week’s meeting of the Trust board at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine.

In an update on the Northern Trust’s financial position, Stevie Lennon, interim director of finance, told board members the Trust had delivered a financial surplus of £72,500 at the end of March 2026.

Members also heard that projected savings of £33.6 million had been achieved.

A total of £71.3 million was spent on agency staff during the last financial year. Of this, 26.2 per cent (£18.6 million) was spent on “off-framework agencies”, with nursing, healthcare assistants and medical locum agency spending representing 78 per cent of the total agency spend, the report stated.

The report noted:

“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.

“The Trust continues to review, monitor and drive down costs where applicable.

“Cost pressures continue to be raised by providers in the independent sector with regard to the impact of the National Minimum Wage in social settings, and other inflationary pressures, including within nursing and residential care settings and with domiciliary care providers.”

The report also indicated that Covid-related costs are continuing to reduce annually, with expenditure of almost £2.7 million by the Northern Trust. This included £685,000 on laboratory testing, £1.7 million on PPE and £163,000 on vaccinations.

Separately, members were advised that an additional £157,000 funding was required for a new extension at Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ballymoney, bringing the overall project cost to almost £3 million.

The development will include five en-suite bedrooms, an occupational therapy and physiotherapy rehabilitation room, a plant room and staff facilities.

Of the overall funding package, almost £1.7 million will come from Robinson Hospital charitable trust funds held by the Trust, with a further £640,000 coming from funding held privately by the Robinson board of trustees. A total of £561,828 in additional funding is also required.

Construction work is scheduled for completion in July 2027.

Meanwhile, a new alongside midwifery-led unit remains under construction at Antrim Hospital at a cost of £3.45 million.