PATIENTS are at risk as hospital vacancies are set to top 2,000.

Southend Hospital is bringing back retired nurses to plug some of the holes – with Basildon Hospital relying on students.

Despite intensive recruitment campaigns vacancy rates across Southend, Basildon and Broomfield Hospitals start at a crisis level of ten per cent and go up from there to 23 per cent.

As a result there is an “increased risk in harm befalling patients”, standards falling and extra money being spent on temporary staff.

At Southend Hospital there are 495 vacancies including 150 nurses and 96 other medial posts.

The report revealed, at Southend University Hospital NHS Trust, retired nurses are being asked back to work to fill gaps as part of a “retire and return” scheme.

The report states: “Hotspot areas are emergency department, women’s and children’s and medicine”.

While Southend Hospital is relying on older and retired staff returning Basildon and Thurrock University NHS Trust is running a “keep in touch scheme” with students and trying various methods to reduce turnover where there are 252 nursing vacancies, according to the latest figures in December.

The report calls the struggling workforce “the biggest challenge” with the added fear cancer waiting times are being extended and lives put at risk as a result.

Across the region there are 771 nursing vacancies, 260 medical and 1,962 in total.

On some mental health wards some staffing levels are down in the 50 and 60 per cents.

The clinical commissioning group joint committee meeting report stated: “If safer staffing is not achieved across mental health services there may be an impact on the quality and continuity of care for patients.

It is feared Brexit will increase vacancy rates and problems will worsen.