SICKNESS and vacancies saw staffing fall below safe levels on nine West Cumberland Hospital wards over the summer.

In June and July, a number of wards also worked above their agreed Registered Nurse to bed ratio. 

These included Gable ward, whose bed ratio of one nurse to 7.5 patients was "at times'' worked 1/15 with support; Honister ward, bed ratio 1/10, worked at times 1/15 and Kirkstone, bed ratio 1/10, at times worked 1/15.

In a report to Tuesday's meeting of the North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust board, members were also told five wards at the WCH, over June and July, were "closely monitored and supported'' by chief matrons and matrons following issues with staffing levels, patient falls, medication errors and post-admission pressure ulcers.

Speaking yesterday, Sarah Dodsworth, regional director of Royal College of Nursing (Northern), said its members at the the West Cumberland Hospital had "low morale'' as they had been led to believe they are "inferior'' to staff at the Cumberland Infirmary at Carlisle.

She said WCH staff said they had always been seen as the "lesser of the two, even though surveys and patients constantly praise the staff at the WCH''.

Ms Dodsworth also said staff at both the WCH and Cumberland Infirmary. Carlisle, felt "under pressure'' by managers to work in unfamiliar areas.

She said staff nurses had commented: "This is very unsafe as most of the nurses that are being moved have not worked on a ward in a number of years. This makes it unsafe for patients and the nurse, putting their professional registration at risk.''

A report to the board meeting stated in recent weeks the Trust has appointed 52 Registered Nurses, of which 34 are local student nurses who qualified last month, with the remaining 18 qualified nurses and students from other universities.

Members of the board also heard how the Trust was currently trying to recruit registered nurses from the Philippines but were told "obtaining visas has become problematic during this process and the new immigration laws effective from 2017 may hinder this project''. 

Jamie Reed, Copeland MP, said: “Ministers are making it harder to train staff in the UK, making it harder to attract nurses from overseas. 

"Our doctors and nurses are working incredibly hard in difficult circumstances, but they are being pushed to breaking point."