THE NORTH of England has over 8,000 nursing vacancies as NHS trusts grapple with patient demand.

Figures from NHS Improvement for the end of March this year show there are 8,068 vacant nursing posts across the North.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said the number of vacancies filled is ‘not scratching the surface’ when it comes to meeting employer and patients demands on nursing staff.

Regional director for the RCN in the North West Estephanie Dunn, said: “Whilst we have seen a very slight shift in vacancies being filled over the past year, 299 across 73 NHS Trusts across the north of England, it’s not scratching the surface when it comes to meeting employer and patient demands on nursing staff.

“It’s clear that our NHS is cash starved.

“Vacancies across all areas are high for numerous reasons including lack of incentive to join and remain in the profession and because Trusts can’t afford to fill vacancies with the right staff with the right skill mix.

“Moreover, the investment to develop staff up to the standards required in specialist areas to enable them to work higher and advanced levels of practice is detreating.

“Clearly safe and effective patient care is a significant concern for our members and the RCN."

Data on vacancies comes after NHS figures earlier this year for the period between April 1 and September 30 last year, showed there were 415 advertised posts for nursing and midwifery full-time vacancies in East Lancashire Hospitals Trust.

But Emma Schofield, deputy director of human resources and organisational development at the trust said it employs more nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants than ever before.

She said: “The trust continues to have great success in recruiting and retaining nurses locally, nationally and internationally to maintain safe staffing levels on our wards, services and clinics.

“Despite difficult challenges, today we employ more than 2,300 registered nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants – more than ever before - to care for patients at our five hospitals, and in the community.

“As well as proactively recruiting new nurses, we are particularly successful at keeping those we already have.

"ELHT is such a great place to work that our staff turnover rate is well below the national average. "And when student nurses train here, they invariably choose to come and work for us.”