HOSPITAL bosses have been unable to fill a staggering 27 nursing posts at Calderstones, Whalley.

The staff shortage is becoming a worsening headache for Calderstones NHS Trust.

Figures revealed today in a report to the trust board say there were 27 vacant nursing posts in residential services at the end of January.

Calderstones has already been forced to make generous overtime payments to its nursing staff in an effort to maintain adequate staffing levels.

It is understood that nurses have been asked to work double shifts.

The trust's nursing budget was underspent by £270,000 because of the staff crisis.

Board members were due to discuss the problem today.

Last month, trust chiefs admitted that they were struggling to recruit nurses on short-term contracts.

They also said it was "increasingly unlikely" that recruitment levels would reach the budgeted levels. The report adds that 84 residents have been resettled into the community between last April and the end of January, but the regional target of 150 by the end of March is "unlikely" to be achieved.

Most of the Calderstones site is due to close by 1998, and the trust will retain the Chestnut Drive medium secure unit and expand its community work.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.