The Western Health and Social Care Trust has said it has been unsuccessful in recruiting specialist neonatal nurses to work in the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

This news came as part of a statement released last week by Deirdre Mahon, Director of Women and Children’s Services at the Trust.

She said: “Contrary to some of the recent headlines, this is not about cutting neonatal or maternity services. 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, the PHA and HSCB.

“The staffing crisis has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and short-term sick leave, and staff isolation within the Western Trust.”

Addressing the problem further, Mrs. Mahon continued: “Neonatal units across the region have all endured significant staffing shortages and because of the specialist knowledge and skills required to care for pre-term and sick babies, there has been no opportunities to seek cross-cover across hospital sites."

Of the staffing shortages, Mrs. Mahon said: “The unit is commissioned for six special care cots. Over recent years and months, many senior experienced neonatal nurses have left due to retirement, to pursue a different career pathway, or to accommodate a better family life balance.

"This has left a huge depletion of experienced neonatal nurses, with a result that the unit is having great difficulty providing adequate nursing cover for many shifts."

Another issue raised was the issue of the specialists cot numbers in the SWAH being reduced. Mrs. Mahon said: “The unit have implemented contingency plans to ensure that all babies born in the hospital are safely cared for.

“This has included reducing cot capacity in order to provide emergency and stabilisation of sick and pre-term babies to another regional unit for ongoing specialist care, if required.”

Mrs. Mahon emphasised that all babies have remained inside Northern Ireland: “It is also important to note that all of the babies transferred during this period would have met the criteria for transfer regardless of the aforementioned challenges, and that, to date, no babies have been moved to any unit outside of the region."

A project board has been established to look at all aspects of the neonatal delivery service at the SWAH. The Western Trust will also be engaging in a recruitment campaign which will highlight the neonatal service.

Mrs. Mahon concluded: “The SWAH's Senior Clinical Management Team and Human Resources are also currently engaging with an external advertising agency and working with our communication team to plan how we can try to address this nursing shortage locally, and as a wider recruitment exercise.

“Initially, as part of this process, there will be a PR campaign launched, highlighting the Trust Neonatal service and the opportunities available there, and featuring this as a ‘Great place to work and live’."