Local Issues

Nurses

     

Lobby of Bournemouth nurses on the Terrace at the House of Commons

During a mass lobby of Parliament by the Royal College of Nursing, I met nurses from Bournemouth and discussed their concerns.

The nurses wished to draw attention to the growing number of NHS deficits and their impact on both nursing jobs and patient care.  In order to mitigate deficits, NHS Trusts are having to close wards, delay treatment and issue compulsory redundancies to nurses and other health care staff, all of which is having a significant impact on patient care.

I have great sympathy for Bournemouth nurses who work in hospitals that are experiencing job losses.  I think our nurses do a wonderful job but I am concerned that wards are having to be closed and newly trained nurses find it difficult to get jobs.

I have taken these problems up with Government Ministers on the nurses' behalf.  I also have regular meetings with the Chief Executives of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital and the Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust.

I shall continue to do whatever I can to help improve services at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. One of my interests there is the Jigsaw Appeal, of which I am a Patron, which aims to raise £1 million in order to extend and improve facilities in the hospital's Haematology and Oncology Unit.