Walsall Manor Hospital's overseas hunt for nurses
Walsall Manor Hospital has revealed it will look overseas to bolster staff levels as part of a multi-million pound recruitment drive.
Health chiefs are poised to push ahead with £3.5m proposals to bring in up to 85 nurses and 35 care support workers.
In a bid to fill the registered nurse positions, bosses at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust are now looking to recruit from Ireland.
They say they are being forced to look further afield due to a nursing skills shortage in the UK.
It comes after 100 extra workers have been recruited since last year as the hospital has been faced with rising numbers of patients.
The plans will also reduce the need to use temporary workers, which is expected to cost the hospital £20m this financial year.
Members of the board are being recommended to approve an investment in new nurses when they meet tomorrow.
Kathryn Halford, director of nursing, said: "We will continue to recruit locally but it is unlikely that this will attract sufficient trained nurses to fill the number of vacancies that we are now able to offer.
"We are therefore also looking further afield into Ireland to promote our recruitment opportunities for qualified nurses."
A report to the trust board adds: "This level of investment will ensure that staff are able to provide timely, high quality care to the patients within the organisation.
"The recruitment of staff will require a planned approach with support for staff if we recruit from overseas.
"It is anticipated that the overseas recruitment will be completed as soon as possible."
The trust currently has around 2,500 nurses.
Walsall Manor has been battling against rising admissions which has seen growing numbers of patients coming from Staffordshire.
The under-pressure hospital faced one of its busiest periods in late December and early January when it was pushed to full capacity.
The hospital was forced to declare a major incident at the height of its problems, with more staff drafted in to help and extra bed space created.
The NHS defines a 'major incident' as any event whose impact cannot be handled within routine service arrangements.
The trust has also been trying to control the use of temporary workers.
Latest figures showed this rose by almost £200,000 last month.
A total of £1.766 million was used towards agency, bank and locum workers in January. This compares to £1.575m in December, an increase of £191,000.
