THE organisation running Worcestershire’s two A&E departments is being forced to shell out for expensive temporary consultants to replace the five who resigned earlier this month.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was thrown into turmoil earlier this month when five emergency consultants – including the entire consultant team based at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital – handed in their resignations simultaneously.

Although adverts have been placed at www.jobs.nhs.uk for locum emergency department consultants to fill the posts temporarily, this could come at a heavy cost, with temporary staff paid significantly more than their permanent equivalents, some netting more than £1,000 a shift.

A spokesman from the trust said permanent positions would be advertised later this week.

“We are currently finalising the job descriptions for these roles, to ensure that they are tailored to attract the maximum interest,” she said.

“As well as advertising directly for posts, we are also in active discussions with other trusts about the support they may be able offer us and we are pleased to have already receive some offers of help which we are following up.

“We have also been in contact with recruitment agencies to see what support they can offer us.”

Emergency consultants are required to give at least three month's notice and none of the five - all of whom have been offered jobs in Warwick - are expected to leave before May.

A report due to be presented at a meeting of the trust’s board on Wednesday, February 25 shows the organisation – which in January revealed it expected to end the current financial year with a £26.7 million deficit, almost three times its initial prediction – is looking to fill 31.5 full-time roles with expensive temporary staff.

These roles – designated ‘full time equivalent’ as each can be filled by more than one person.

The meeting at Kidderminster Hospital, which begins at 9.30am, is open to the public, and the agenda and reports are available online at www.worcsacute.nhs.uk.

Meanwhile the trust is hosting a recruitment event for registered nurses, advanced nurse practitioners, midwives and healthcare support workers on Saturday, March 7.

The free drop-in event, which will be held at the Alex’s education centre from 10am until 3pm, will include information on roles at all three sites run by the trust.

The trust’s deputy chief nurse Lisa Miruszenko said the organisation had recently held similar recruitment campaigns for its maternity and theatre departments which had proven extremely successful.

“Whether you are working for another trust and looking for a change, thinking of coming back to the profession or wondering about embarking on a caring role within nursing, this is the event for you,” she said.

“If you are currently working as an advanced nurse practitioner and considering a change then we are also interested in discussing what the trust can offer you.”

Representatives from the University of Worcester will also be on hand to provide information on training as a nurse. Parking at the hospital will be free for those attending the event.