HOSPITAL bosses have confirmed they will be looking to India and Dubai to fill vacancies for emergency department consultants in East Lancashire.

East Lancashire Hospital NHS Trust (ELHT) bosses will widen their recruitment drive for a number of unfilled posts at the Royal Blackburn A&E unit from September.

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Kevin Moynes, the trust’s human resources director, said: “The trust is currently working on a recruitment strategy which will enable us to achieve a sustainable workforce now and in future years.

“We want to ensure that we can continue to offer safe, personal and effective care to the people of East Lancashire so we are hoping to recruit senior speciality doctors with expertise in acute and emergency medicine from India.

“The trust will support the doctors in their career development so they can undertake consultant positions in the near future.”

Russ McLean, East Lancashire Patients Voice chairman, said: “We would support anything the trust does to fill these vacancies.

“We know their hands are tied with recruitment however we will be keeping a close eye to see what patients think about the situation.”

Luke O’Reilly, a Royal College of Emergency Medicine spokesman, said: “There is a general lack of emergency consultants across the UK. But it is a decision for individual trusts regarding how they decided to fill them.”

Royal Blackburn’s A&E has failed to meet targets for treating patients within four hours for the past 12 months.

Nurses from the Philippines are in the process of being hired, once language exams are passed.