Trust has mosttemp. nurses

THE people of the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) area are more reliant on temporary nurses than anywhere else in Northern Ireland.

By The Newsroom

Published 15th Jul 2012, 13:58 BST

Last year there were 232 nurses employed on temporary contracts in the Western Trust.

This compared with 94 in the Northern Trust, 65 in the Belfast Trust, 40 in the South Eastern Trust and 92 in the Southern Trust.

In fact the Western Trust’s 232 temporary nurses accounted for 44 per cent of the Northern Ireland total of 523 in 2011/12.

In 2010/11 204 nurses were employed on temporary contracts in the Western Trust whilst in 2009/10 the figure was 251. In both years this was once again the highest percentage in Northern Ireland.

Health Minister Edwin Poots said the figures were provided by HSC Trusts and related to qualified nursing staff band 5 and above who were on temporary contracts.

The temporary headcount figures include staff on maternity leave, secondments, long term sickness and vacancies.