Island struggles to find new nurses

VACANCIES for nurses in Jersey are three times as high as they were in 2008 and double what they are in the NHS, the Health department has revealed.

Poor accommodation, the high cost of living, a lack of extended-family support, a poor working environment and worse terms and conditions than the UK are all factors blamed on the inability to attract staff-grade nurses to the Island.

One nurse interviewed by the JEP said that if she had realised how expensive it was in Jersey she would have stayed in the UK. She pays £250 a week more for accommodation in the Island for her and her husband and two young children. (from JEP)