Salisbury District Hospital nurse numbers UP by a over a fifth

The latest NHS details reveal that Salisbury District Hospital had 846 full-time equivalent nurses on their books, as of July 2020.

That's an increase of 21.2% compared to July 2019 - and is the biggest rise in nursing numbers across the South West.

There's also been an 8.7% increase in the number of full-time equivalent doctors at the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust over the same period.

That takes the total to 387 doctors.

There's been a push to recruit more medical staff within hospitals, with the Government pledging to increase overall numbers of nurses with the whole NHS by 50,000 by the end of this Parliament (2024).

A huge plea for nurses to rejoin the ranks from retirement or career changes, or for those in training to qualify early, was also launched during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year.

This summer, the Health Secretary also set up the NHS People Plan, which aimed to improve staff wellbeing and improve recruitment, retention and support for employees.

Salisbury MP John Glen said:

"I am delighted that the government's commitment to deliver more nurses is having a direct positive impact here in Salisbury.

"Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has had a double-digit increase - 21.2% - in the number of nurses over the last year.

"It's brilliant that the NHS, who we are immensely proud of, can be supported and reinforced in this way."

In a statement, the Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust has said:

"We’re pleased that Salisbury District Hospital continues to be a popular place to work. Recently we have been successful in attracting staff from across the country and overseas to join our workforce.

"We are always looking for talented individuals to join our dedicated team, anyone interested in joining us should visit https://worklife.salisbury.nhs.uk/ for latest vacancy information.