Hampshire has 300 fewer nurses than needed (From Daily Echo)

Hampshire has 300 fewer nurses than needed

2:34pm Tuesday 24th November 2009

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COUNTY chiefs have denied that a shortage of more than 300 nurses and carers put frail elderly people and children in care at risk.

Figures reveal a vacancy rate of 18 per cent in the 1,761-strong nursing, residential and day care workforce at Hampshire County Council last April – equal to 317 posts.

The council runs 37 residential and nursing homes, 23 day centres and 11 children’s homes.

A report to the policy and resources select committee noted: “In particular, there is a serious shortage of registered managers in care homes.”

It said there was a link between a high vacancy rate, staff turnover and sickness in the nursing home sector.

It went on: “High levels of sickness absence lead to a high level of reliance on agency staff with accompanying high costs.”

But council bosses say they are tackling the staff shortage and the vacancy rate has been cut to 11 per cent, or 170 posts.

They say all children’s homes, residential and nursing homes for the elderly now have registered managers in post, while use of agency staff has been reduced since April.

Councillor Felicity Hindson, executive member for adult services, said: “The welfare of the people we care for is always our top priority. A vacancy rate of 11 per cent does not represent a significant staff shortage and none of our service users are at risk.

“However, we are not complacent and we will continue to work towards improving both recruitment and retention of staff.”

Liberal Democrat opposition spokesman for the elderly, Councillor Alan Dowden, said: “All these nursing homes or day centres have to have sufficient care workers because obviously if they are not in place, the quality of care is reduced.

“I have done a lot of work to get the council to put more money into social services, which it has, but it is like a black hole because of pressures from people living longer. Social care nationally needs to be better funded.”

A county council spokesman said no posts had been frozen in adult social services despite a predicted £2.1m overspend.

She said: “We recruit as vacancies occur and are looking to have a rolling programme of regular recruitment activities.”

However, of 134 new jobs planned in the 2009/10 budget, only 61 have been filled, while most of the rest have been put on hold to save money, according to a council report.

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