Southend Hospital bosses are pulling out all the stops to solve a worrying shortage of nursing staff.
The number of empty posts has remained at up to 90 for the last few months - more than double the usual 38 vacancies.
The dearth has been triggered by a combination of a national tussle for nurses and new developments at the hospital which have created additional posts.
Steve Buggle, director of personnel and communications, said there was a lot of competition for trained nurses - not only from Basildon Hospital, just down the road, but also GP clinics and other community posts.
The hospital is pressing ahead with recruitment drives including its Back to Nursing initiative for qualified nurses who have taken time out.
On a trip to the Philippines earlier this year, bosses interviewed 120 potential recruits, taking on 63. The first of four contingents will be arriving next month on a four-year work permit, with the remainder arriving by August.
They are all US-trained and have an excellent level of spoken English, said deputy chief executive and director of nursing, Chris Humbles. However, they will each have to spend the first three to six months under supervision as health care assistants.
Published Monday, April 8, 2002
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