Staff redeployed after ICU nurses leave their jobs

BELFAST Health Trust is having to redeploy staff after a number of intensive care nurses resigned, it has emerged.

Experienced workers are having to supervise the new arrivals amid ongoing staffing issues in the health and social care body.

Bosses have admitted they are “concerned” at the number of people leaving and the “worsening position” due to sickness levels.

The highly-skilled personnel care for some of the most critically ill people in Northern Ireland’s hospital system.

News comes amid continuing pressures on health professionals dealing with Covid cases and seasonal winter issues.

It was reported yesterday the Royal College of Nursing had raised concerns after five of the specialist nurses left in the past two weeks.

However, Belfast Trust yesterday admitted that eight ICU nurse have gone in the past fortnight.

SKILLED

The trust said in a statement: “These are highly-skilled and valued colleagues who responded diligently to the challenges presented to them over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are all immensely grateful to all our staff for their commitment and dedication at this extremely challenging time.

“To ensure all patients receive appropriate care there is a registered nurse with every patient in the intensive care unit and one nurse with every two patients, receiving high dependency care.

“A number of nursing staff have been redeployed into to the ICU to ensure the trust can provide the required additional capacity for patients with Covid-19 and other illnesses.

“We are also very grateful to those staff who have offered to re-deploy.”