MAITLAND HOSPITAL WELCOMES 28 NEW OVERSEAS NURSES

Communities across the Hunter and New England are experiencing a welcome boost of new nurses, with more than 140 registered nurses recruited from the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland.

Hunter New England Local Health District has welcomed the first of these new skilled nurses, who are now settling into the District’s hospitals and towns, following an international recruitment drive to attract staff and boost the capacity of local healthcare teams.

The incoming nurses are qualified and experienced in emergency, surgical care, intensive care, and paediatrics, with many honing their skills at specialist hospitals in the UK.

Nurses are being placed across the District’s hospitals and facilities, including 28 at Maitland Hospital, the highest number placed in any hospital in the Hunter Valley from this cohort.

As part of their welcome, the new nurses and their families are greeted at the airport by District staff, before being escorted to local accommodation. Ongoing training and personal support are provided, including an orientation and buddy-up system to ensure the nurses feel comfortable and supported in their new environment.

The District is currently assisting the remaining overseas nurses through the visa and immigration process, and anticipates their arrival in the coming months.

The international recruitment drive is one of a range of initiatives currently underway to attract and retain nurses to HNELHD’s facilities, with other measures including the employment of more than 250 graduate nurses and midwives, the implementation of the NSW Government’s Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme, school-based trainee program, and tertiary study subsidies.

Quotes attributable to Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison:

I warmly welcome these much needed and valued nurses to Maitland Hospital. I know they will bring a wealth of valuable experience to our community.

The health worker shortage in our regions is one of the biggest challenges confronting our health system, especially at Maitland Hospital. International recruitment drives are just one way we are helping to attract and retain health workers in our regional and rural areas.

The NSW Minns Labor Government is committed to improving health access in Maitland, with an increase of 10 per cent in staffing at the new hospital since we came to government, the opening of the Maitland Hospital Emergency Department Short Stay Unit and rapid expansion to 24/7 care, and the introduction of HARA Ambulances, this latest addition of 28 new registered nurses from the United Kingdom and Ireland will improve health outcomes in our community.

We want to ensure everyone can access high quality healthcare no matter where they live.