NHS cajoling Mumsnet HQ to join nurse recruitment campaign

[DrVonPatak]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-48438139

I mean, REALLY?!?

How about paying all the overtimes to the existing ones? Or reinstating the training bursaries? Or quit passing on the EU ones? Or train the general public to treat the nurses we have with basic common courtesy?

No, instead let's invent hot water with elaborate schemes that do nothing to fix the base issues...

Boils my blood...

Er, advertising on Mumsnet appears to be one of a number of measures, with a focus on 'encouraging nurses back into the NHS with the promise of flexible working opportunities', ie targetting a known large group of mostly mothers of young children who might want to get back into work but are not sure if they can manage home/work/family etc. The article also says more international recruitment and getting more trainees into nursing.

I don't think expecting existing already overworked staff to just do more overtime to fill the gap is the way to go. Yes, make it available to those who want to do extra shifts, but don't use it as a way to deal with staff shortages.

Make it so that I don’t have to get into £30k of debt to train, work shitty hours for free whilst studying and go into a job with bloody awful conditions and a crap salary and I’m there!

Angelo only 30k?! (And yup, I agree! Although I'm still considering it...)

@AngeloMysterioso

Thank you!

I don't think they're trying to target young mothers etc, we have no choice but to work 12.5 hour shifts. I'm dreading going back to work when my LO is born with childcare etc. Yes the pay is crap and I'm still paying off my bursaries etc 3 years later...

Yep i'm with the other posters. They need to address their institutional bullying problem and increase salaries.

The problem with the NHS is that it seems to think that if it asks the same question enough times, it will eventually get the answer it wants.

I know it's not the point, but it's worth remembering that most nurses will pay little of that £30-50k 'debt' back as their salaries are likely to be always be just above the threshold where it becomes payable, unless they are promoted into bands 6 or 7 fairly quickly.

Eg a nurse on £30k which is realistic due to some or all of high cost area payments, shift allowances and moving up through band 5 will pay back less than £40 a month, which will barely make a dent in the debt before it is written off.