100 extra nurses to be hired

Sister Jackie Greenhalgh on ward I5 (orthopaedic and trauma) at North Manchester General Hospital

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A £3 million cash injection for local health services will see a boost in the number of nurses and sisters on wards at the Royal Oldham Hospital.

Pennine Acute Trust will bring in 100 new nurses and healthcare assistants in a scheme designed to improve the quality of care across its four hospitals.

The increase comes despite the trust’s need to save another £32 million to balance its books — bringing the total to be saved between 2011/12 and 2016/17 to £185 million.

Marian Carroll, the trust’s director of nursing, said the role of ward sisters and charge nurses would be strengthened.

“It will greatly enhance the patient experience and quality of care,” she said. “This is excellent news for the trust, our staff and importantly our patients and their families.

“It reinforces that the trust board recognises and values the role of its senior nurses in assuring, improving and transforming the quality of care and services for our patients.”

Besides the Royal Oldham, the trust is responsible for North Manchester General, Fairfield General in Bury and Rochdale Infirmary. The move will see extra nurses and supervisory ward sisters for 39 acute inpatient medical and surgical wards.