Norwich and Norfolk are not having a good time of it at the moment with regards to our healthcare. The loss of beds, wards and some whole facilities has hit hard both locally and around the county. All opposition parties are, quite rightly, up in arms at Labour's cuts to the NHS.
However, more worrying is news tonight that the UEA plans to cut lecturer numbers at the school of nurisng and midwifery because of a fall in student nurses numbers. Now, I know that staffing decisions must be left to the UEA, but the implication is that fewer people are training for the medical profession which will have a corresponding impact on healthcare in the locality.
Many UEA students stay on to live and work in the area - myself included - and no graduates are more welcome than those who work in our NHS. Yet with fewer coming through it may be that local providers have trouble getting staff in the future - maybe 5 or 10 years down the line.
UEA midwifery students delivered both of my children and they were both excellent - a credit to the university and the NHS. We need more of them, not less.
Is this part of a national decline, in which case what are the government doing about it?
Or is it part of a local decline, in which case what are UEA doing about it?
Either way, another blow to the NHS.
1 comment:
What really annoys me is the stop go investment that comes from Labour. There big word, and Charles Clarke is "sustainability". Well look at Norwich and Norfolk, money in, even greater targets to meet and huge PFI repayment "rent" to Octagan, sucking this money away. Spanking new X ray machines yet too few radiography nurses to operate them, cut key staff to cut costs. Result 300 last in, first out student nurses get the chop with no careers to go to. A suspect it will be the same with young student teachers in Norfolk as well. Not enough jobs to go round. Where is Labours employment sustainability in NHS employment. It sounds like Boom and Bust for student nurses.
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