SOUTHEND Hospital has experienced a higher than average loss of staff over the past two years.

Reasons given include that most endemic of conditions in hospital workforces...stress.

Also cited are low pay and low morale.

The vacancy rate has inevitably created a vicious spiral. The more personnel who leave, the greater the pressure of demand on those who still remain at work in the hospital.

The dedication of frontline staff is not in doubt, but a shortfall of such proportions must have an impact on patients, notably on reducing the amount of time that can be spent on individual care and attention.

Clearly, the situation has to be addressed before it hits crisis levels. The hospital management is grappling with the problem as best it can, but to an extent its hands have been tied by enforced cutbacks and the pay freeze.

Politics, not hospital management, is the underlying force behind Southend Hospital’s staffing plight, and it is politicians who can do most to ease the stress on institutions like Southend.

While pay and resources have been squeezed, targets have remained relentless, despite the Government’s pledge to ease up on the target culture. The Government is squeezing hospitals in both directions, and stressing out staff in the process. The predictable result can be seen in Southend’s high staff turnover.