THE SDLP’s Derry Assembly representative Sinéad McLaughlin has called for efforts to be redoubled to support the nursing workforce, after figures revealed that there are almost 300 registered nursing vacancies in the Western Trust.
The figures were revealed by the Department of Health in response to an Assembly Question tabled by Ms. McLaughlin.
Said the Foyle MLA: “Our nurses are the heart of the NHS, yet these figures demonstrate once again that our system is failing to properly plan for the needs of the workforce, resulting in almost 300 registered nursing vacancies in the Western Trust.
“Rebuilding our nursing workforce will be central to our efforts to transform the health service.
“Every day, nurses go above and beyond to provide care, attention and support to those in our hospitals.
“The SDLP has called for transparent, thorough workforce planning alongside safe staffing legislation to ensure that enough nurses are recruited and trained and that they are in the right place to provide the care that people need.
“During the pandemic, we all applauded nurses’ efforts on the frontline along with the rest of our key workers, but we need to recognise that they deserve much more than simply applause.
“They deserve fair pay, terms and conditions and tangible interventions to improve their working environment.”
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