Cash crisis hospital takes on more nurses

The 31 nurses and 29 healthcare support workers will begin work at Rotherham Hospital.

Managers say new minimum skill mixes of staff are being created and ward sisters and charge nurses will work in a supervisory capacity at all times to support the delivery of national standards including recommendations in the landmark Francis report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS trust scandal.

Officials say the appointments will also reduce reliance on expensive agency staff which will save money and drive improvements in quality.

Chief nurse Juliette Greenwood said: “We are actively continuing to recruit at the trust and our continual focus and drive remains to ensure that we have the right staff to meet patient and service needs.

“Our nursing workforce is one we are duly proud of and maintaining the highest levels of patient safety and quality must always be our priority. This investment in staff who will continue to deliver a high standard of nursing care to our patients will always be our priority for the people of Rotherham and the wider community.”

An American-led team of turnaround experts was drafted into the hospital six months ago due to a worsening financial crisis. Among its first moves was to cancel planned cuts to wards after shortages of nursing staff were identified.