The Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) has said that it has been unsuccessful so far in attracting and employing trained and experienced neonatal nurses to work at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH)
In a statement released to The Impartial Reporter in the wake of the temporary closure of the Neonatal unit last Saturday, May 21 from 8am to 8pm, the Western Trust confirmed that, to date, it has been unsuccessful in recruitment for neonatal nurses.
A spokesperson said: “We are doing everything in our power to actively try to recruit and address gaps in our workforce to ensure a safe and sustainable neonatal service. However, we have, to date, been unsuccessful in attracting and employing trained or experienced neonatal nurses to work in Enniskillen. 
“We recognise that there is a regional and a national shortage of neonatal trained nurses and the situation in the SWAH has been escalated to the Neonatal Network NI, and the PHA and HSCB.”

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The Western Trust revealed that an emergency meeting took place on Friday afternoon “after all options had been explored to get cover for the emergency absence”.
Explaining the contingency plans put in place, the spokesperson said: “Contingency plans were put in place to ensure emergency and stabilisation if any babies – who required support – were to be born during these periods, included a senior consultant remaining on site during this time, and senior midwifery staff trained in newborn life support available to assist with any baby who required immediate resuscitation, support and stabilisation prior to transfer.
“Nursing staff from the Paediatric Department were also available to support the paediatric teams.”

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The spokesperson also confirmed that some babies have been transferred to other hospitals during this period, saying: “Currently, we provide emergency care to babies born in the SWAH, and stabilisation or transfer for those that require a higher level of care.

‘Transferred to other hospitals’
“There have been several occasions during the period of staffing shortages whereby babies requiring a higher level of care have been transferred to other hospitals. However, these babies would have been transferred out to other hospitals regardless, as they required a higher level of care than special care.”
The spokesperson concluded: “The Western Trust is committed to ensuring that [the] hospital continues to provide obstetric care to pregnant women and safe neonatal care to babies born in the SWAH, whilst recognising that staffing challenges remain.
“All efforts are made to address these, and we have an active recruitment campaign ongoing.
“The neonatal [unit] closures are one of the mitigating factors in ensuring that we can deliver on this care, and as soon as staffing allows, we will re-open our cots accordingly.”

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