Temp nurses

MORE nurses (224) are employed on temporary contracts in the Western Trust than in the rest of Northern Ireland’s health trusts combined, the Sentinel can reveal.

Health Minister Edwin Poots revealed 224 temporary contract nurses in the Western Trust are working a 201.59 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE). Their average contract length is 22 months.

He outlined the information in response to an Assembly Question tabled by East Londonderry MLA John Dallat.

It transpires the use of temporary contract nurses is far heavier in the Western Trust than in Belfast (54 temporary contracts), Northern (77 temporary contracts), South Eastern (52 temporary contracts) and Southern (31 temporary contracts).