STAFF who recently retired from East Lancashire’s hospitals have been asked to return to work, as bosses continue efforts to plug gaps in the workforce.

About 30 former employees have returned on a temporary basis in recent weeks, to try to ensure there are enough experienced staff on each shift. The radiology department was among those to recall staff, as the trust aims to meet revised targets.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Meanwhile, the trust’s latest board papers showed concerns about nursing shortages were raised 89 times by staff in January, including five ‘red flag’ reports. This was a slight improvement on December, when 105 incidents were reported.

The red flag incidents included two shifts which had fewer than two registered nurses covering a ward, one incident in which breaks were missed, and another where nurses were unable to complete their planned ward rounds. The report said no patients suffered actual harm as a result.

Among the wards with the lowest rates of nursing cover in recent months have been C1, C3 and C9 at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, as well as the three wards at Pendle Community Hospitals.

Thirty-one nurses have this month been offered permanent jobs, taking the total recruitment effort to more than 250 nurses and health care assistants since early 2014.

Eleven will care for patients on surgical wards, with a further 20 nurses working with various hospital and community NHS services across East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen.

Victoria Robinson, head of recruitment services, said: “There is a national shortage of qualified nurses so it is essential that we select the appropriate nurses to meet the challenges ahead for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.”