Cost of locums to Tasmania's health system triples in three years to $182 million, right to information data shows

Like the rest of the state's public hospitals, the royal relies on locum doctors and nurses to keep functioning. Now the true cost of that has been revealed. “We can now see the government has completely blown the budget in employing multitudes of outsourced staff.” Right to information documents obtained by labor reveal the health department spent more than 180 million dollars on locums last financial year. “what we're seeing is an unsustainable rise in the cost of employing locums both in the junior medical workforce, what we'd call the mid level which is your registrar and also your specialists.” The cost of locum doctors more than doubled in the past three years. Growing from 42 million dollars in 2021 to 105 million last financial year. While the money spent on locum nurses increased fivefold, jumping from just over 14 and a half million dollars to almost 77 million. It means the total cost of locums in Tasmania has more than tripled in just three years. “We need those workers there. They are employed because we need them there but we need them in permanent positions.” Health unions say it's a consequence of not prioritising recruitment and retention. “Clearly that call has not been heeded and now we're seeing vacancies that require filling to ensure staff and patient safety and unfortunately agency at this point is the only option.” “It's hard, because the other states are facing a similar reliance on locums too. So, knowing that, how do we pitch ourselves to be the preferred employer?” The nurses union says there are now hiring incentives in place and a greater focus on recruiting permanent staff. “All of that combined is going to take some time till we can actually fill those vacant positions with permanent staff and reduce our agency use.” “The government says almost a thousand health workers have been recruited in recent months.”