A financially stricken foundation trust has blamed “bad behaviour” of neighbouring trusts breaking agency spending caps for its staff shortages.
Doncaster and Bassetlaw FT has been forced to suspend inpatient admissions and transfer patients to other hospitals.
In a board briefing last week, chief executive Mike Pinkerton warned the lack of locum agency staff to fill rotas “now poses an escalating continuity of services risk” to the trust. He has complained directly to local trusts and NHS Improvement over the issue.
Papers show staffing became a particular problem in the trust’s Doncaster and Worksop emergency departments following the agency caps being brought down again in February, with staff leaving to “surrounding trusts as a result of them breaking cap rates”.
Full story in the HSJ 4 May 2016