Nurse recruitment drive 'working'

The government says it has succeeded in attracting nurses back

The drive to recruit more nurses to the NHS is working, says the government.

Figures published on Friday show that since 1 April, 2001, 2,670 nursing staff have returned to the NHS, are on refresher courses, or waiting to take up posts.

But, as of March this year, there were 9,020 posts that had been vacant in England for longer than three months.

That is a fall of 0.5% compared to the March 2000 figure.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn said: "The vacancy survey published today show that we have got a long way to go but we are clearly turning the corner on nurse and midwife recruitment."

Beverly Malone said nurses must be persuaded not to quit

There are also 670 hospital consultants jobs vacant - up 0.2% on last year's figures.

In professions such as radiologists, physiotherapists and laboratory technicians, the vacancy rate rose by just under 1%.

The government has pledged to recruit 20,000 nurses by 2004.

The Department of Health said some returners cited the introduction of family-friendly policies as the reason for their return.

It claims the abolition of two thirds of health authorities will mean £100m will be available for childcare facilities for NHS staff in the future.

Free refresher courses and one-off lump-sums of at least £1,000 had also attracted nurses and midwives back, it said.

'110,000 needed'

Figures from the department show that since February 1999, 8,226 nurses, midwives and health visitors have returned to the NHS.

They are coming in the front door, but we have got to make sure they don't fall out the back door

Beverly Malone

Government statistics also reveal there are 17,100 extra nurses in the NHS, compared to 1997 - where September to September figures are matched.

In December last year, an independent study commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing, suggested that because of the numbers who would leave the profession, 110,000 new recruits will be needed to meet the 2004 target.

The RCN report also found a nationwide shortage of 22,000 nurses, midwives and health visitors.

It said if retirement and other losses stay at their current rates, 90,000 nurses will have left by 2004.

That, together with 20,000 planned extra recruits, means the NHS will actually need to fill in excess of 110,000 vacancies.

Retention issues

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Beverly Malone told the BBC she was delighted that nurses were returning to the profession.

However she warned that efforts must be made to persuade those currently working in the NHS not to quit.

We have got a long way to go but we are clearly turning the corner on nurse and midwife recruitment

Health Secretary Alan Milburn

She said: "They are coming in the front door, but we have got to make sure they don't fall out the back door."

This could only be done by improving the pay and working conditions for nurses, she said.

"We need to pay nurses adequately, and reward them and value them.

"The working conditions play a big part also. Nurses have to have the right equipment, they have to have enough staff, and they have to have a management system that supports their ability to give safe, quality care to patients."

Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said, at the current rate, it would take more than ten years to fill all medical and dental vacancies in the NHS.

The nurse recruitment campaign, involving TV, radio and press advertisements, ran from February to March this year.

Local recruitment drives also took place.