Staff Shortages Hit Bridlington & District Hospital Again

A shortage of trained nurses has led health chiefs to make changes to how Bridlington & District Hospital 's Minor Injuries Unit is run. But they said the alterations would not affect patients in any way and the (MIU) would continue to treat people 24 hours a day. Until now, the (MIU) has been run by a team of nurse practitioners who, along with regular nurses, treat people for minor injuries such as sight cuts, burns, bites and broken bones. But the Bridlington Hospital no longer has enough nurse practitioners to staff the (MIU) because of illness and maternity leave and because some have been “poached” by other health Trusts. Reports Mick Pilling; “A solution to this is to treat the nursing staff correctly, pay them adequately and make contingency plans well in advance”

So from Wednesday 10 th March 2004 patients who call into the (MIU) after 10.00pm will be treated by senior nurses and, if necessary, by an on-site doctor? If the person's injuries are too serious, the patient will be sent to an accident and emergency department at either Scarborough or Hull ; which is what happened before the changes came into place. Alison Guy , chief executive of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: “This system will make efficient use of the resources that we have. Despite our best efforts to recruit, we've come up against problems in maintaining the level of trained staff needed to run a nurse-led (MIU). Reports Mick Pilling; “Before we had Nurse Practitioners; we had a doctor in (MIU's) with nursing staff and these units ran very well and adequately”.

Emergency Nurse Practitioners are in huge demand nationally, so not only is there competition to attract relatively few trained individuals, but there's also the problem of losing members of staff who are poached by other Trusts. Reports Mick Pilling; “Pay the Fully Skilled Nurse Practitioners there worth and they will remain in there jobs and stay loyal”.

In November 2002 staff shortages forced the Bridlington & District Hospital (Minor Injuries Unit) to close altogether from 10.00pm to 8.30am each day; it was proved that the lack of staff advertisement by previous Trust management was to blame; as soon as advertising was made the relevant staff were recruited and the Bridlington & District Hospital's (MIU) reopened in June, 2003 24 hours a-day which please the towns people of Bridlington and District. Ms Guy chief executive of Scarborough & North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust said; we will carry on trying to recruit, but in the meantime this system, which is similar to the way in which most (MIU's) operate, is a good way of continuing to provides the service.

Ms Alison Guy said; patients should not notice any difference to the service within the (MIU), as the type of injuries treated there would remain the same; she also said notices explaining the changes would be placed around the Bridlington Hospital and on the main-doors of the (MIU).

The Save/Support Bridlington Hospital Campaign would like to hear from anyone who experiences any up-heaval whilst this scenario with the; Minor Injuries Unit continues.

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