Health graduates called into frontline action as hospitals fill up

Jan 1 2009 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

HEALTH bosses battling to cope with huge winter pressures on the NHS are using a scheme to fast-track newly qualified health workers straight on to the frontline.

NHS West Midlands, the region’s health authority, set up the “Graduate Talent Pool” to boost numbers in hospitals, care homes and other community services over the colder months.

Nurses, physiotherapists, mental health workers and radiographers have already been drafted on to wards from the pool to increase staffing as greater numbers of patients come flooding in due to flu outbreaks and a rise in winter illnesses.

Officials said that over the past four weeks almost 130 newly-qualified healthcare professionals had been matched with vacancies in NHS and independent healthcare sector employers through the scheme.

Many were being used as temporary cover over the winter instead of expensive agency staff.

Peter Blythin, director of nursing and workforce at NHS West Midlands, said: “Demand for NHS services has been extremely high over the past few weeks since the really cold weather set in earlier than usual, bringing with it winter ailments like flu and other respiratory diseases, as well as icy falls.”