Worst area in NI for 'home help' worker shortage identified by Sinn Fein MLA

The worst area of Northern Ireland for domiciliary care provision - often referred to as 'home help' - has been identified by an MLA.

The rural, South Derry area has been hardest hit by a shortage of workers to provide care in people's homes, according to Mid Ulster MLA Emma Sheerin.

The Sinn Fein MLA said that, of Northern Ireland's five geographic health Trusts, the Northern Trust is the "worst impacted" by the shortage of domicilary care provision - and the South Derry area is the worst hit in the Northern Trust.

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She raised the issue, in writing with Health Minister Robin Swann.

Mr Swann said "66 successful candidates" had been given the "option of contracts across Trust Homecare Service, which included posts within Mid-Ulster area" in a recruitment drive in July last year, with another "17 successful candidates" offered contracts following a recruitment drive in December.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Mid Ulster MLA Emma Sheerin said: "Across the north, there is an issue with access to domiciliary care - what people would traditionally have called 'home help'.

Across the five trusts, the Northern Trust is the worst impacted in terms of the shortage of provision. The Northern Trust covers from Coleraine right down to Galbally.

"The area that I represent, south county Derry, seems to be the worst hit in terms of increased demand and a particular shortage of workers."

She continued: "It's a geographical area which is obviously a sort of very rural, widespread area. There's a shortage of workers and there's fewer people going into the workforce.

"Their mileage provision isn't, proportionately, as much as what it had been so even the private contractors are less likely to take on patients in the more rural areas because it's not financially viable for them. It's costing more to facilitate those calls basically.

"I'm contacted by families literally every week about this. It's one of the particular pressure points. In terms of the constituency issues that I deal with this would probably be up there with the most pressing problems.

"Every time I meet with the Trust I raise it. I've raised it with written questions to the Minister. I've had an adjournment debate on this with the minister. I've asked him oral questions about it. I've written letters to him about it."

She added: "I have another question to the minister that I'm awaiting an answer on around what resolution there has been to the industrial action on pay for care workers. To me, you know, not enough has been done.

They talk here about the rolling recruitment drive but, as of the beginning of February, there were 1,700 people in the Northern Trust area waiting on a full or partial package.

"That's a massive number of people and it creates pressures elsewhere because more and more of those people are going to be in step-down beds, contingency beds in nursing homes. An awful lot of them will still be in ICU or clinical hospital beds that they don't really need - there's no clinical need for them."

The Sinn Fein MLA added: "From the from the data that I have received from Trusts and answers from the ministers, it does look like South Derry has the worst impact across the north.

"I have had more than one constituent pass away before their package of care was actually delivered."

In a written Assembly question, Ms Sheerin asked the Health Minister Robin Swann for an "update on actions to increase provision for domiciliary care in the South Derry area of the Northern Heath and Social Care Trust"

Mr Swann said: "There have been significant efforts to increase provision of domiciliary care in both Trust Homecare and Independent Sector Providers across the Mid-Ulster area of the Northern Trust, which would include the South Derry constituency. In the Mid-Ulster area, a new Independent Sector Provider was contracted to NHSCT in October 2023 and a further new provider is in the final stages of taking up a contract."

He continued: "NHSCT operates an ongoing rolling recruitment programme for Trust Home Care staff, with the most recent recruitment exercise in Mid-Ulster held in March 2024. Further to this Northern Trust have completed targeted recruitment exercises in the past 12 months:

"In July 2023, Northern Trust completed a specific recruitment exercise with Health Sector Talent across the entire Trust Homecare service. This was successful in offering 66 successful candidates the option of contracts across Trust Homecare Service, which included posts within Mid-Ulster area."

He added: "Bespoke recruitment days focused within the local communities have also been completed. The most recent recruitment day was held in Mid-Ulster locality in December 2023, where 17 successful candidates were offered the option of contracts in Trust Homecare Service."

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