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Wish you were here? Hospital targets tourists to fix staffing gap

Nurse recruitment campaign includes postcards advertising posts and targets those visiting the Welsh coast, and comes after a ward closed due to staff shortages
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s recruitment campaign targets seasonal visitors with a 'That holiday feeling all year round' tagline

Nurse recruitment campaign includes postcards advertising posts and targets those visiting the Welsh coast, and comes after a ward closed due to staff shortages

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s recruitment campaign targets seasonal visitors with a 'That holiday feeling all year round' tagline
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s recruitment campaign targets seasonal visitors

A health board forced to close an inpatient ward in a community hospital due to nurse shortages is targeting tourists with postcards to try to plug ‘significant’ nursing gaps.

Health board was unable to recruit enough nurses for community hospital ward

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) closed the ward at Tywyn Hospital on the west coast of Wales in April because it was unable to recruit enough nurses to staff it.

At the time, BCUHB said it was actively recruiting but predicted the process could take several months and the ward would have to remain closed.

In a report to a board meeting due to take place this week, interim chief executive Carol Shillabeer said ‘immediate actions’ to ‘enhance recruitment in the south Meirionnydd area had been taken following the closure including attempts to recruit seasonal visitors to the area.

‘These include the use of recruitment banners, leaflets and postcards, which have been developed to advertise posts and target those visiting the area. The banners are currently placed across key locations in the west of North Wales including locations in Tywyn,’ she added.

Targeted recruitment drive planned for social media and college students

Ms Shillabee said a ‘targeted’ recruitment drive would also soon start on social media, which will see posts advertised on ‘key groups based on roles, location and interests’.

The board’s long-term recruitment plans include forging links with the undergraduate nursing degree at Aberystwyth University and training staff to ‘develop and inspire’ school and college students to join the profession, according to the report.

‘At Tywyn Hospital training is under way to develop staff competencies to allow for the delivery of additional services such as spirometry and dressings clinics, IV therapy and the expansion of Tuag Adref (homeward bound) services to enable the continuation of access to care closer to home for the residents of the area,’ the report added.

At least 3,000 nurse vacancies across whole of Wales

The ward closure was criticised by local politicians, including the area’s Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts, who raised concerns about its potential impact on nurse recruitment.

The RCN has warned for some time that there are not enough nurses in Wales to deliver proper care. The college estimates there were at least 3,000 registered nurse vacancies in 2022, up from 1,612 in 2020 and 1,719 in 2021.

Wales is the only country in the UK not to publish data on nurse vacancies according to its chief nursing officer Sue Tranka.


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