A SHORTAGE of nurses is forcing hospital bosses to take emergency action and temporarily close a children’s ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary at weekends.

The Telegraph & Argus can reveal the Friday night to Monday morning closure of Ward 2, an elective and acute surgery ward, is being decided week-to-week because the hospital, run by Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, is short of 22 qualified nurses across its three paediatric wards.

Terri Saunderson, the trust’s acting chief operating officer, said sickness and maternity leave had compounded a recruitment crisis which she hopes will end in September when 15 newly-qualified nurses start work on the wards.

“We have an issue between now and September. I must stress it’s temporary and under weekly review.

“We absolutely have to maintain patients’ safety and to do that the closure of Ward 2 for the short period of time between Friday night and Monday morning is the best option to do that.

“I hope people will support what we are trying to do which is to ensure the absolute minimal impact on the patients who use our services. If we can keep the ward open with sufficient staff, we will keep it open.”

The 27-bed ward is routinely reduced to 16 beds on a night and at weekends and if it has to shut because of lack of staff, any children not discharged on a Friday evening will be moved on to Wards 16 or 17. If there is no space for them there, then Ward 2 will be kept open.

Ms Saunders said weekend closures would not postpone any planned operations and added: “I want people to have the confidence they will turn up at our front door and get the very best care.”

She also said she was not aware of any plans elsewhere across the trust to temporarily close any other wards because of the shortfall of nurses.

Glenn Turp, regional director for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Yorkshire and the Humber, said the trust was right to put patients’ safety first but added that a staffing crisis in the NHS could no longer be ignored.

“Pressures on staffing have reached an unsustainable level right across the NHS, but particularly in acute care settings,” said Mr Turp.

“The RCN has repeatedly drawn attention to the spending cuts forced on hospital trusts and other employers but the Government continues to ask for savings across the board with no constructive guidance as to how an increasing number of patients can be cared for with less money.

“We are struggling to see an end to this situation, especially in view of additional pressures on the education of our future nursing workforce.

“We will be monitoring the situation at Bradford, and right across the region, as well as working with NHS staff and managers to help them care safely for the sick and injured people who come through their doors.

“It is hard to understand how this staffing crisis can be ignored any longer, especially when it has reached the point where poorly children could be affected.”

Since March, 130 nursing and midwifery positions have been advertised by the Trust which employs 1,700 nurses and midwives of which 1,424 work at BRI. Where possible the Trust turns to its own staff first to fill uncovered shifts before using agency nurses.

Ms Saunderson said: “Nursing shortages is across the piece, it’s everywhere not just Bradford. There are vacancies across the nation.

“We are having more of an issue here in paediatrics because it’s been compounded by maternity and sickness leave which is a moveable feast but we will be fully recruited by September,”

Ms Saunders said the Trust’s recruitment drive had been extended to the EU and further afield with “leaving no stone unturned”.

About 138 new nurses will be starting at the Trust in September in time for the opening of the hospital’s new £28 million wing.

Since January ten nurses have also come from Portugal, Spain, Poland and Italy with three from the Philippines.