Minister Says Efforts to Reduce Agency Staff Are Showing Results

The number of temporary agency healthcare workers employed by Jersey’s health service has fallen over the past year, according to the island’s Health Minister.

Tom Binet said efforts to reduce reliance on agency staff within the Health and Social Services Department were beginning to deliver results, although temporary cover was still needed in some areas.

In a written response to a States member, the minister said agency staff continued to play a role in filling workforce gaps caused by nationwide recruitment shortages. However, he said measures were in place to bring those numbers down.

Official data shows the number of agency nurses has dropped significantly over the past year, falling from 39 in January 2025 to 15 in January 2026.

The overall number of agency workers used by the department also declined. After reaching a peak of 95 in March last year, the figure had reduced to 68 by the start of 2026.

Binet said the department was strengthening its internal staffing bank so that short-term shifts could increasingly be covered by existing employees rather than external agencies.

He also pointed to ongoing recruitment campaigns aimed at filling permanent roles as a key factor behind the reduction in agency staff.

“We are working to reduce our reliance on agency staff, which is currently necessary to cover gaps in our substantive workforce, particularly in roles affected by national labour market shortages,” he said.

Despite the progress, the minister said some level of agency cover would remain necessary to ensure services continue to operate safely.

Binet added that 139 permanent full-time staff joined the health service during 2025. These included 10 doctors and consultants, 59 nurses and midwives, 65 civil servants and allied health professionals, and five members of ambulance staff.