Concerns raised over agency nurses (From Bucks Free Press)
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Concerns raised over agency nurses in Bucks
1:58pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Health By Lawrence Dunhill
HOSPITAL chiefs are trying to limit the use of agency nurses, as a patient complained some of them “couldn’t care less”.
Ryan Mellett, 73, asked a hospital board meeting why temporary staff are regularly being used on the wards.
He was told by health chiefs at a public meeting last week: “We are using agency nurses at the moment mainly in areas where it’s difficult to recruit.
“It’s a particular issue for us, not just in expenditure but in terms of quality and consistency of care....However, there will always be a need to use temporary staff.”
Mr Mellett, who attends hospital regularly for a skin condition, replied: “You’ve mentioned it there - the quality of them.
"Nurses just couldn’t care less with us...that’s a generalisation, [but] you’ve got to try and stop it or put some good nurses in there.
“I’m an older persons’ champion and I’m getting people telling me about it. I really do want you to take that on board and try and do something about it please.”
Chief nurse Lynne Swiatczak said: “We use a national health service agency, [and] we recruit and train them. Agency nurses don’t run our wards...They are monitored on each shift.
“Where concerns are raised we deal with them very quickly. It isn’t something I want to continue, we are trying to minimise this.”
Hospital board papers show more than 350 agency staff, including nurses, are being used each month by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which controls Wycombe, Amersham and Stoke Mandeville hospitals. The trust employs about 4,700 permanent staff.
Temporary staff, for which the hospitals pay a higher hourly rate, are used for increased workloads, as well as to plug gaps in the workforce due to vacancies and sickness absence.
There has recently been pressure to clear a backlog of patients, while there are currently 95 vacancies for qualified nurses.
Board members are hopeful the backlog will soon be cleared, while 30 new nurses are set to be joining the trust in the coming weeks.
Comments(5)
CarolHorner
says...
3:44pm Thu 2 Feb 12
Wycombe Hospital is a total disgrace with disgustingly filthy wards - particularly 4A and 4B where the windows are aluminium im wooden frames, where the floor tiles are cracked and dirty and the stairways are littered with asbestos. It is the same on the 3rd floor and in the other areas.
NUrsing Staff when approached about taking soiled sanitary articles out of the wards say that once a day is what is programmed.
This Hospital is a disgrace to the Country and needs demolishing.
demoness the second
says...
7:51pm Thu 2 Feb 12
CarolHorner wrote:It is old - but it is NOT filthy. What a foul thing to say.
This is an excuse.
Wycombe Hospital is a total disgrace with disgustingly filthy wards - particularly 4A and 4B where the windows are aluminium im wooden frames, where the floor tiles are cracked and dirty and the stairways are littered with asbestos. It is the same on the 3rd floor and in the other areas.
NUrsing Staff when approached about taking soiled sanitary articles out of the wards say that once a day is what is programmed.
This Hospital is a disgrace to the Country and needs demolishing.
ukhunnybee
says...
6:22am Fri 3 Feb 12
washondo
says...
3:49pm Fri 3 Feb 12
ukhunnybee wrote:Why is there a national shortage of nurses? Lots of people unemployed?
If you want pretty wards and spanking new floors perhaps you could pay the private hospitals their expensive rates, but i tell you for something Carol the majority of the staff are excellant hard working professionals, trying to make the best of a terrible time with the cutbacks at present, it is people like you and your uncalled for comments no wonder why they is a national shortage of Nurses!!!
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Reduce the qualifying criteria; many have the calling, though not the currently perceived ability (certification). How difficult is it to mop the brow (or the floor), make the bed, empty the bed-pan, succor those in distress, were not the elitist Elfin Safety dictating. Admittedly and agreed, there will be degrees of specialisation. Many only need their hand held. Were they who dictate any good at the job, they would be doing it, instead of garnering framed wall-liner. (Don't presume to tell others how to do what you can't do yourself).
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Solution - nationalise health care - totally.
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Incidentally, there are no "people like you". We are each individually entitled to an opinion.
Fit2drop says...
2:43pm Thu 2 Feb 12
Sickness is rife because management is weak, therefore more agency are required to make up shortfall.