HC Deb 06 November 2002 vol 392 c432W
Andrew Rosindell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on staffing levels at Oldchurch Hospital, Romford. [75106]

Mr. Hutton

The annual workforce censuses do not provide information for individual trusts. Oldchurch hospital is part of Barking, Havering and Redbridge National Health Service Trust, which was formed in April 2001. There is therefore no comparable historical information.

The Department's vacancy survey collected information for the whole trust as at 30 March 2002. The trust has been ensuring that the impact of vacancies on the quality of care provided to its patients is minimised by being one of the first trusts in London to use the NHS Professionals service. NHS Professionals is a NHS temporary staffing service aimed at reducing reliance on expensive nursing agencies. The trust is also very active in pursuing the Improving Working Lives initiative. A steering group, with cross-trust representation, including staff-side, has been meeting since April to take forward the Improving Working Lives action plan, aimed at achieving practice status early in 2003.