Today Telford’s MP has written to the SaTH Chief Executive Simon Wright to ask him to confirm that he will now recruit agency staff to fill vacancies at the Princess Royal Hospital.
This comes after it was revealed that SaTH had not sought to have the cap lifted on payments to agency staff, which would have enabled the Trust to recruit by offering higher rates of pay.
Lucy Allan has previously written to various NHS bodies to seek their assistance in solving the recruitment needs of the hospital and spoken of her concern that the Hospital management had failed to take up the help offered by the NHS community.
Lucy Allan said:
“I am shocked that this basic step which would have enabled the Trust to recruit has simply not be taken. Offering agency staff higher rates of pay for an interim period is an obvious solution, and yet this management did not seek to do this. The Trust must now recruit the necessary agency staff and keep our A&E open. It’s incredible that the obvious options have not been explored.
“I hope that once this crisis is over, the Chief Executive will reflect on this very unnecessary situation, which has caused disruption to our community, damage to the reputation of the Trust and, by the Trust’s own admission, put patients at risk. These are serious charges and there should be serious consequences for those responsible."