More must be done to
train nurses in this country
Published Dec 17, 2014
More
must be done to train nurses in this country -
and urgently, said UKIP Health spokesman Louise
Bours today.
and urgently, said UKIP Health spokesman Louise
Bours today.
Her comments come in the wake of a shock report
from the Health Service Journal showing almost
three-quarters of hospital trusts have been driven
to recruiting overseas.
from the Health Service Journal showing almost
three-quarters of hospital trusts have been driven
to recruiting overseas.
"While we have always had some foreign nurses
working in the NHS it is now getting out of control
and we cannot go ignoring the situation," said Ms Bours,
North West MEP.
working in the NHS it is now getting out of control
and we cannot go ignoring the situation," said Ms Bours,
North West MEP.
"This shortage of home grown registered nurses
should never have been allowed to develop and
cutting 10,000 training posts since the last General
Election has plainly been a massive mistake. I
believe one of the ways to address this is to scrap the
insistence on university degrees.
should never have been allowed to develop and
cutting 10,000 training posts since the last General
Election has plainly been a massive mistake. I
believe one of the ways to address this is to scrap the
insistence on university degrees.
"We need to go back to learning on the job backed
up with classroom training which would help tackle
this staffing crisis. Nursing is about caring and practical
experience on the wards dealing with real patients is
worth its weight in gold.
up with classroom training which would help tackle
this staffing crisis. Nursing is about caring and practical
experience on the wards dealing with real patients is
worth its weight in gold.
"A survey earlier this year revealed that more than
half of nurses are so unhappy that they want to quit
to work overseas for countries such as Australia where
they can often earn at least £10,000 a year more.
half of nurses are so unhappy that they want to quit
to work overseas for countries such as Australia where
they can often earn at least £10,000 a year more.
"Morale among nursing staff is very low as they
feel their essential work is undervalued so it is no
wonder that we have staff shortages in this country.
It is a crisis and swift action is needed," she said.
feel their essential work is undervalued so it is no
wonder that we have staff shortages in this country.
It is a crisis and swift action is needed," she said.
Latest figures show in the 12 months ending in
September last year 5,778 nurses from abroad were
recruited compared with 1,360 the previous year.
September last year 5,778 nurses from abroad were
recruited compared with 1,360 the previous year.
"Recruiting staff from abroad carries the inherent
risk that poor English skills could lead to
misunderstandings and mistakes. It also adds to the
costs of recruitment, money which should be spent on
training and paying British nurses.
risk that poor English skills could lead to
misunderstandings and mistakes. It also adds to the
costs of recruitment, money which should be spent on
training and paying British nurses.
"Because our hands are tied by EU rules on freedom
of labour about 75% of nurses from overseas are allowed
to register to work here without any checks on their
language or competence. That is plainly wrong and
dangerous," she said.
of labour about 75% of nurses from overseas are allowed
to register to work here without any checks on their
language or competence. That is plainly wrong and
dangerous," she said.
