Community Group For Mid Ulster Hospital
Nursing Staff Feeling the Pain
The first moth of the year 2011/12 records for the Northern Health & Social Care Trust (NHSCT) in regards to staff movement within the Trust is showing a worrying and continual loss of full time nursing staff. Off all occupational families within the Trust it is the worst affected by job losses.
14 permanent full time nurses were lost in the month of April 2011 and replaced by 2 new starts, in regards to temporary staff there were 6 new comers with 3 leavers.
(link).
Staff movement by Directorate (link) shows that mental health and acute services, front-line services, have lost out the most for the month of April 2011. 8 full time acute workers have been lost and only 3 positions filled, while mental health also seen a loss of 8 staff being replaced by 2.
This is an overall attempt by the Trust most likely to reduce the overall ratio of qualified to non-qualified nurses within the Trust, currently the Trust have a ratio of 78:22 qualified to unqualified nurses. By reducing and diluting the nursing staff the Trust aim to hit its target of 74:26 qualified to un-qualified nurses, a ratio that it should of have achieved by March 2011 according to the Performance Report May 2011
Health will be reviewed in Northern Ireland and nursing staff who have been forced into retirement or lesser roles through redeployment need to be protected by the Health Minister so that their nursing skills can be fully utilised by future health plans rather than their skills being ignored by current Health Chiefs.
ENDS______________-------------_________________
Hugh Mc Cloy
Chair Save The Mid
Tel: 07871503189
Web: http://savethemid.weebly.com/index.html
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