CORONAVIRUS LATEST: Almost 1,000 workers join Western Trust frontline in fight against Coronavirus

Almost 1,000 workers have responded to the Western Trust's workforce appeal in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

The HR Directorate supported the Trust across a range of activities.

That includes, the HSC Workforce Campaign which was launched on March 27, 2020 - there are currently 588 applications being processed for the Western Trust across a range of staff groups.

Trust staff who have retired in the last three years have been contacted – 96 have agreed to return across a range of staff groups.

Also some Trust staff who were due to retire in the next four months have also expressed an interest in extending their retirement date to support the Trust’s COVID response.

Students from a range of professions have expressed an interest in coming to work for the Trust:

•  46 Medical Students are due to start work in the Trust as Medical Student Technicians on 6 April 2020.
•  154 Student Nurses from a range of specialties from Ulster University and Queens University, Belfast are due in the Trust week beginning 6 April 2020. These students will be paid as Healthcare workers, Band 4 until qualified, when they will be made permanent Band 5 Nurses.
•  44 Student Social Workers are due to start work in the Trust on 6 April 2020. 

Almost 1,000 people have registered in response to the Workforce Appeal, this covers the entire range of disciplines, e.g. Porters; Plumbers; Nurses; Doctors Administrators; Social Workers etc.

It is envisaged that these registrants will be able to be processed week commencing 6 April 2020.