Local MP, Philip Dunne, was on hand to support the recruitment day for Bishops Castle community hospital on Friday (12th January).

The local NHS trust, ShropCom, is running recruitment days to seek sufficient qualified clinical staff to enable the beds at Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital to reopen.

Following the closure of the beds due to an overreliance on agency staff, the Trust are seeking to recruit additional Full Time Equivalent registered nurses to work at the hospital, to meet national safer staffing requirements and to reopen the 12 beds.

Mr Dunne said:

“I was pleased to join local volunteers and ShropCom in Bishops Castle for their latest recruitment day, which aims to secure enough nurses to safely reopen the beds at the Community Hospital.

“The initial recruitment day identified some registered nurses and other healthcare workers interested to work in the hospital and there were encouraging signs on Friday of new potential recruits for both registered nursing and healthcare assistant roles. It is good to see some progress being made towards reaching the required service level, with great support being offered by local community volunteers involved in the interview and familiarisation process.

“I hope we will see the interest expressed at the recruitment day turn into job offers being made and accepted so there can be real progress in reopening the hospital beds.”

A further recruitment day will take place next month on Saturday 24th February 2024, between 10am and 2pm at Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital. Vacancies at Bishop’s Castle Community Hospital can be viewed through ShropCom’s website at www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk.