Swine Flu: A24Group beats Medical Staff Shortages
In anticipation of the growing demand for more medical staff to deal with the outbreak of swine flu, Ambition 24hours, the A24 Group is recruiting nurses nationwide seeking part-time temporary employment. The convenience of local work, with hours to suit, and high rates of pay will appeal especially to medical staff with family commitments or those recently retired or perhaps considering retirement, in addition to staff seeking extra shifts – according to Ambition 24hours, one of the leading UK nursing agencies.
The second week of July 2009 saw a particular turning point in the pandemic. There was a sudden surge in patient demand on the NHS – with a suspected 55,000 new cases in the space of seven days, whilst services were inundated with requests from the ‘worried-well’.
NHS Direct saw the number of calls to its helpline rise to four times the normal winter levels when demand on the service is at its peak. For GPs, the rate of consultations for flu-like illness rose to over 70 per 100,000. Whilst this number is still short of the 200 that would qualify for an epidemic, the headline figure does not reflect the extent of the pressure upon services in many areas.
For example in one London borough, the consultation rate reached 700 per 100,000 consultations. Hospitals in the West Midlands have reported having wards full of swine flu patients.
The A24 Group is recruiting medical staff not only because of the need for extra personnel to cope with escalating demand on hospitals and GP surgeries, but also because working doctors, nurses and AHPs are themselves affected by the pandemic. As full-time personnel fall ill, there is an increased requirement for replacement staff to meet shift requirements in the short-term. The A24 Group is one of the leading UK nursing agencies, specialising in meeting the demand for temporary staff at very short notice, 24 hours a day.
A24 Group offers amongst the highest standards of compliance and the most advanced ICT systems resources for the management of temporary medical staff. Services are designed for maximum efficiency and safety in meeting clients’ needs for personnel. A24 Group can match medical jobs and staff instantly according to candidate qualifications, experience, location and work preferences, for example.
For further information visit www.a24nurses.co.uk