3 June 2026
SDLP Opposition Health Spokesperson Colin McGrath MLA has welcomed new figures showing growth in Northern Ireland's Health and Social Care workforce, but said the continued pressures facing patients and staff demonstrate why safe staffing legislation must now be brought forward without further delay.
The latest statistics show that the HSC workforce has reached a record 68,341 whole-time equivalent staff, an increase of more than 5,000 over the past five years. The number of registered nurses and midwives has also increased significantly during that period.
South Down MLA Colin McGrath said:
"Every additional nurse, doctor, healthcare assistant and allied health professional working in our health service is welcome. These figures reflect the commitment of staff and the efforts that have been made to recruit and retain workers across our system.
"However, while workforce numbers are increasing, our health service remains under immense pressure. Despite having more staff, spending on agency nurses continues to rise. That raises questions around why if the workforce is growing, why are agency costs increasing and frontline services still reporting mounting pressures?
"Patients continue to experience long waits, overcrowded hospitals and difficulties accessing care. Staff continue to report unsustainable workloads. That tells us that simply increasing workforce numbers is not enough. We must ensure that the right staff are available in the right place at the right time to deliver safe, high-quality care.
"Safe staffing is not a new demand. It is a commitment that was made more than six years ago, as a means to end industrial action in 2020, and one that nurses have been waiting far too long to see delivered. The workforce has grown. Nursing numbers have increased. Retention rates have improved. These are all positive developments and should be recognised. But they also remove many of the excuses that have been used to justify delay.
"Our nurses deserve certainty that safe staffing levels will be protected and that patient safety will be placed at the heart of workforce planning. Safe staffing legislation is about ensuring that staff have the support they need to provide the care patients deserve. It is about protecting both patients and healthcare workers.
"The Minister should now set out a clear timetable for bringing forward this legislation. After more than six years of waiting, nurses and patients deserve action, not another broken promise."