Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Staffing crisis is laid bare
THE staffing crisis facing Tayside health chiefs has been laid bare by the revelation not a single graduate applied to work in Angus adult psychiatry services now at the centre of a controversial review.
The region was criticised by Scotland’s Auditor General for approaching a nationwide staff squeeze with a huge overspend on its pay budget.
The 25-bed Mulberry ward, which provides acute general adult psychiatry (Gap) beds at the Susan Carnegie Centre at Stracathro, near Brechin, was closed in an interim measure this year due to staffing shortages. There are fears it will be axed in a review of provision.
NHS Tayside’s deputy chief executive Professor Andrew Russell said: “To maintain current levels of nurse staffing, we need to attract 50 new employees per year. Of 92 graduates completing training in Dundee, this year only 46 are available in Tayside.
“Of 21 staff who applied to work in Gap in-patient services, 18 wanted to work in Dundee, three in Perth and Kinross and none in Angus.”
The move comes as the local authority bids to introduce permits for people dumping rubbish using larger vehicles at the Baldovie and Riverside sites.
The barriers, set at a height of 1.9 metres, prevent large vans and lorries from entering without permission from on-site staff.
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said today: “New regulations have come into force to prevent firms dumping commercial material at Dundee household waste recycling centres.
“It follows a survey covering the Baldovie and Riverside sites which showed an increase in firms getting rid of rubbish for free to avoid paying trade waste fees.
“A resident permit scheme is now in operation which means that any local person who uses a non-commercial van will have to register for a free permit before they visit a centre.
“Any resident who has hired a van will have to show proof of hire. Commercial vans should use the Baldovie Transfer Station and pay a commercial waste fee.”
The spokesman said the disposal of trade and commercial waste was the responsibility of the trader or operator and it could not be deposited at a household waste recycling centre.
He added: “To help to control this, we have introduced height barriers and a household waste tip permit scheme.
“Residents are entitled to reasonably use vans and trailers to bring their material to the sites but that will require a permit.”
Permits are free for householders who wish to dispose of small quantities of bulky waste, or to access re-use
Metal barriers have been installed at city recycling centres to prevent workers dumping commercial waste.
or recycling facilities. They are valid for 12 months and allow up to 12 visits.
The council said that on-site attendants reserve the right to refuse access if it’s suspected the waste has come from a commercial operation.
Following the introduction of the barriers, reports have emerged of at least one vehicle not being used for commercial purposes being damaged — as well as one van driver transferring waste to a car before dumping it at the centre in order to get round the regulations.
North East councillor Brian Gordon, whose ward includes the Baldovie centre, said there may be some “teething problems” with the scheme but said it was necessary to prevent people abusing the facilities.
He added: “Hopefully this will mean that everyone has fair use of the recycling centres. It should work out for the best in the long-term.
“This way, hopefully they will avoid any potential abuse from anyone they refuse access to.
“I haven’t heard of any major issues yet but it is still early days.”