Trust seeks £1m to ensure future safe nurse staffing levels
Posted 12 September 2023 - 07:00
Funds are seen needed to cope with rise in patient demand and prepare for safe staffing in the future at two Lancashire hospitals
More than £1 million of investment will be needed to ensure safe staffing levels by nurses at an NHS trust in the north west of England.
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to increase nursing staff on all inpatient wards at the Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital amid a rise in patient demand, according to recent board papers.
While there are currently no nursing vacancies at the trust, chief nursing officer Sarah Cullen made the recommendation in preparation for safe staffing levels for the future. It is expected to cost £1.08 million.
The investment will not cover the emergency department, critical care or the surgical enhanced care unit as these will be looked at separately.
The source of the funding is yet to be determined but has been discussed with the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), which alongside NHS England would make a final decision on the investment, according to the board papers.
Chief nurse asks trust to staff wards with the same number of nurses on weekends as on weekdays
‘In the meantime, the trust will continue to mitigate the risks associated with staffing through the use of bank and agency,’ they added.
‘The chief nursing officer confirms they are satisfied with the outcome of the revised annual safe staffing assessment and that while risks remain, present staffing is safe, effective and sustainable.’
Alongside the investment, Ms Cullen called on the trust to staff wards with the same amount of nurses on weekends as on weekdays in response to increased occupancy rates. According to board papers, occupancy rates have increased from 68% in June 2020 to 96% in April 2023.
It comes as nursing vacancies in the NHS in England remain stubbornly high, increasing from 40,096 in March 2023 to 43,339 in June 2023 – an 8% increase.
As NHS employers battle to attract and retain nursing staff, many have resorted to using financial incentives to help.
Some trusts in England have offered ‘golden hellos’ to recruit for hard-to-fill roles, with some also paying recruits in instalments if they stay in their post for a set period of time.
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