Walsall Manor Hospital recruits 40 extra nurses
A recruitment drive for up to 40 nurses has been launched by health bosses at Walsall Manor Hospital under £1.3 million plans.
More registered nurses are being earmarked for the hospital to provide additional cover, particularly during nights.
It follows a review of staffing levels at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, and comes after chiefs took on more than 100 new health staff this year.
Health bosses insist the current level of staffing is safe but say they want to further increase registered nurses on the wards.
The temporary wards at 12 and 14 became permanent this year to deal with rising numbers of admissions. The increased demand has led to record expenditure on temporary workers, with the bill hitting more than £2m a month at one stage.
The review has recommended extra registered nurses on wards which deal with complex medical conditions at night. An additional clinical support worker and evening shift co-ordinator on the acute medical unit are also being suggested, along with more daytime workers in some areas.
The proposals, expected to cost just over £1.3m, are subject to the allocation of funding.
In a report to the trust, director of nursing Sue Hartley said: "The trust has committed significant resources to increase the nursing workforce during the past two years. This has made a positive impact on the care received by patients.
"However, two additional wards have now been opened, and staffing for those areas has diluted the number of experienced nurses on each ward as we have moved people from the established wards to these new areas."
An investment would come despite the hospital needing to save up to £13m next year. It has been hit with extra demand on services which has contributed to record levels of expenditure on temporary workers.
This hit £10m in six months, and £2m in September alone, although steps have been taken to address the issue.
Emergency admissions have rocketed by up to 40 per cent at the Manor, with increasing numbers of patients from Staffordshire.
The health trust in Walsall says it will struggle to cope with rising admissions unless it receives a £14m upgrade.
Bosses at Walsall Manor have said the investment is necessary due to increasing demands from the Staffordshire area.
