August 6, 2025
RED FM News Desk
British Columbia’s health authorities have spent more than half a billion dollars on private staffing agencies over the past two years to ensure the province’s hospitals, operating rooms, and care homes remain operational.
According to figures compiled by CTV News, spending on these short-term contractors has increased every year since the pandemic, despite efforts by the province to reduce its reliance on them.
For instance, Vancouver Coastal Health’s spending on agencies jumped from $5.7 million in the 2019/20 fiscal year to $43 million in 2024/25. Northern Health recorded the highest spending of any health authority, increasing from $12.6 million in 2019/20 to a staggering $92.2 million last year, with 19% of its total nursing costs going to agencies.
Damien Contandriopoulos, a nursing professor at the University of Victoria, called the situation a “trap for the healthcare system,” describing it as a vicious cycle. He noted that more staff are choosing to leave full-time positions for higher hourly pay and the flexibility to set their own schedules, making it difficult to refuse overtime.
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