Staffordshire hospitals turn to overseas nurses to cope with influx of patients
Hospitals in Staffordshire are turning to overseas nurses as they try to cope with an influx of thousands of extra patients.
Bosses at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust are looking to recruit 150 nurses from the Philippines.
The nurses will be brought in to work at both County Hospital in Stafford and the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
They will join 150 nurses from Spain, Italy and Portugal who joined the trust last year – a fifth of the total intake – as well as Filipino nurses who were recruited a decade ago, many of whom have stayed in Staffordshire.
Trust bosses say have turned to the Far East again because of increased competition from other hospitals around the UK to recruit nursing staff from Europe.
New figures published show that in the 12 months up to March this year, staff treated 46,000 more outpatients and 3,500 extra day cases than in the previous year.
Admissions among people over 75 from A&E also rose by a third. More wards and departments are being opened to keep up with demand.
The move has been welcomed by hospital campaigners who say the plan to hire more overseas nurses is better and cheaper than employing agency nurses.
Medical director Rob Courteney-Harris said the overseas nurses had done 'fantastically well', with some being promoted to senior positions, including one who was now a matron.
Human resources director Ro Vaughan said they may return to recruiting in Europe in the future but would 'go anywhere' to obtain good staff.
Ian Syme, co-ordinator of pressure group North Staffordshire Healthwatch, welcomed the drive to introduce more overseas nurses.
He said: "Although it shows a gap in workforce planning, this is a good thing. It is better than relying on agency nurses who cost more and do not give the same continuity of care to patients."
