Shropshire hospital trust struggles to recruit A&E consultants
Only one accident and emergency consultant has been recruited at Shropshire's two main hospitals during the past three years despite extensive recruitment drives, it has been revealed.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) guidelines say a minimum of 10 consultants should be working every day in each of Shropshire's two emergency departments.
But health bosses say Shrewsbury and Telford's A&Es are currently operating with just five consultants – below the minimum suggested by the RCEM.
In an open discussion held before the latest board meeting, Simon Wright, chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said that money was not the main issue.
He said: "If someone gave us millions of pounds it still would not create the workforce. The staff are not there to recruit.
"The RCEM says we need 16 consultants to provide 24-hour cover on one hospital site – so that would mean we would need 32.
"We currently have five consultants on the on-call rota covering two sites.
"It is recommended to have a minimum of 10 consultants on each site but that would not provide 24-hour cover. That is why we cannot sustain two A&E departments."
Dr Edwin Borman, medical director at SaTH, added: "We have been advertising for emergency consultants for three years. During that time we have attracted one.
"This is partly due to the fact a consultant working here would have to cover more on-call shifts compared to larger centres.
"We are clear about the future – consultants have been saying to us give us one emergency department and they will join us."
Victoria Maher, workforce director at the trust, added that when the trust has centralised services, recruitment has been easier.
Neil Nesbit, finance director, agreed that it was workforce that was driving the redesign of health services in the region.
