Another disturbing story; dedicated Nurses put out to Grass? STUDENT nurses at Scarborough Hospital are angry after being told they will have to quit their jobs at the end of March.. One of the 10 nurses, who did not wish to be identified, described their feelings as being " dumped upon".

A spokesman for the health trust which runs the hospital confirmed letters had been sent out but stressed that, if jobs arose, they would be "ring-fenced" for the students.

The student nurse said she was among those who had passed their final examinations and worked a 37-and-a-half-hour week for the past three years.

But they were recently handed letters telling them there would be no jobs for them when their contract runs out.

She said: "The letter is very harsh. We feel our skills are just not wanted. We feel bitter about being dumped on."

Most of the nurses do not have jobs to go to and many were in tears over what was happening to them.

They were told that, due to financial restraints, there would be no interviews for further employment at present but, should any arise, applications would be welcomed.

The nurses, whose ages range from 20 to 50, have tried to find jobs elsewhere including York and Leeds.

The nurse added: "We feel very bitter about all this. We are still working at Scarborough and expected to do so. We did not expect to be told we would not be wanted in a few months' time. It is disgraceful."

The health trust spokesman told the Evening News: "Letters were sent out explaining what was happening and to say that, as jobs arise, they can apply for them and they will be ring-fenced for the students.

"It is unfortunate but obviously we are having to run a tight ship. We are doing what we can. In the past we took student nurses on even when there was no post in existence but knew there may be one coming up. We were the only trust doing this but we are now following what goes on in the rest of the country."

The Royal College of Nursing estimates that 71 per cent of newly qualified nurses cannot find work yet 20,000 are qualifying each year throughout the country.

30 December 2006
Mick Pilling (writes)

Will this happen at Bridlington Hospital?  Bridlington Hospital is short of Nurses now; why not bring them to Bridlington to work and train; it would make a significant difference to patients and they would releave a lot of the problems. i.e. Patients requiring toilet and having to wait; patients not been fed; patients requiring special services etc, and much, much more.......

28 December 2006
Misadventure verdict over death in hospital (Scarborough) SCARBOROUGH Hospital has tightened its procedures after a 32-year-old man suffering from serious alcohol poisoning died during an extremely busy shift. Nurses and other staff were overstretched when John David Pinder was taken into the accident and emergency department on April 12.

Mr Pinder, of West Road in Filey, was initially under observation on a paramedic's trolley before being taken into a cubicle.

However, it did not have a permanent piece of kit used to monitor a patient's condition and a nurse who was looking after Mr Pinder also "had her hands full" with other patients.

Mr Pinder stopped breathing and, although attempts were made to resuscitate him, he could not be revived.

At an inquest, Stephanie Harrison, who was a nurse manager at the time, said: "When I came on duty, one of the nurses made a passing comment that she was concerned about a young man who died.

"She was concerned that perhaps Mr Pinder hadn't had the level of care that she would expect to be given. On speaking to lots of people and members of staff and looking at documents I think the level of care we gave John perhaps lacked in certain areas.

"I can't say it would have made any difference to the outcome but senior members of staff would have expected certain things to happen that didn't happen."

Mr Pinder was found by paramedics unconscious at the side of the A165 Scarborough to Filey road near Gristhorpe with several beer cans close by.

He was taken to the hospital's busy A&E department where he was observed on the trolley until a bed became free around 10 minutes later. Staff Nurse Marie Brown told the inquest the department was "packed to capacity".

After seeing to Mr Pinder she had to deal with another patient who had mental health issues and a patient in another cubicle who was having trouble breathing.

She continued to check on Mr Pinder at regular intervals and could tell that he was OK because of the beeps coming from the monitoring machine. However, the machine was taken away to another patient whose condition had worsened.

When Mrs Brown went to move Mr Pinder to another cubicle where there was a permanent piece of monitoring equipment, she noticed his lips had turned blue and staff could not revive him.

Asked if it was usual to be without monitors at times, Mrs Brown told the inquest: "Yes. We didn't have them in cubicles six, seven and eight but we do try and juggle patients around.

"Unfortunately that night every patient was very, very ill. We now have the machines attached to the walls in those cubicles."

A post-mortem examination revealed he died from hypoxic brain damage and acute alcohol poisoning.

Recording a verdict of misadventure, coroner Michael Oakley said: "It's clear from the post-mortem evidence that, notwithstanding the toxicology carried out after death, it's likely that at the time this occurred Mr Pinder would have had around 330mg of alcohol in 100ml of urine which can be a fatal level."

After the inquest, hospital spokeswoman Gilly Collinson said: "We would like to send our deepest condolences to Mr Pinder's family.

"Clearly there have been lessons leaned from this, and we have done our utmost to address the issues raised, including installing additional equipment and putting in place improved systems. It is our sincere belief that these measures will help ensure the best care for our patients."

28 December 2006
Mick Pilling (writes) Could this be put down to shortage of Money; Nurses; Cut-backs?