CLLR EMMET DOYLE: Frontline Heroes Leaving Trust In Droves, Exec Must Act
Aontú Derry Cllr Emmet Doyle has reacted angrily after discovering that more than 400 nursing and midwifery staff and over 40 doctors have left the Western Trust in the last four years.
Information provided by the Trust via Freedom of Information shows that 412 nursing and midwifery staff under the age of 40 have left the employ of the Trust since January 2017 and 44 Consultant or Other Grade doctors have also left.
Cllr Doyle:
“This is an astonishing number of nursing, midwifery and senior medical staff that have left the Trust the last four years – but given how overworked and underpaid our key workers are, can we really be that surprised?
We have revealed that over 800 beds across the North have been taken out of circulation in the Health Service by the Executive, now this revelation should clearly identify the failure of the Executive parties to offer anything other than empty applause for our healthcare heroes.
Nurses, midwives and staff right across the Health Service deserve a pay rise not just for their dedication throughout the pandemic, but long before. The miserly 1% offered rise for nurses in England is a slap in the face to staff there, and our Executive must find the money for a fair rise for our staff – there is money to be spent – or sent back to the Treasury as Stormont has shown.
We know that our senior doctors are extremely dedicated to patient care and questions must be asked why those under the age of 40 are leaving the Trust.
Aontú are calling on the Trust and the Executive to urgently address medical workforce planning in the Health Service and to offer a fair and well-deserved pay rise to our frontline nursing and midwifery staff or we will continue to see a haemorrhage of staff we so desperately need.”
