Growing Problem Of Recruiting And Also Retaining Existing Staff In Our Hospitals, Schools, Police Services-Margaret Mullane MP.

The Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham-Margaret Mullane today writes her monthly column for the Havering Daily.

Every few years local councils make an assessment of the number and types of new homes that are needed for their boroughs. It’s quite a difficult process as you can imagine.

Of course, they should address the desperate and acute housing needs in their area, the kinds that have resulted in a homelessness crisis and ever lengthening housing waiting lists, problems that have surged over the last decade and more. But within the whole picture of housing pressures is an issue that is largely hidden and not often spoken about. That is the problem of what used to be called ‘key worker’ housing.

Here in Dagenham and Rainham and across London and the major cities of Britain, there has been a growing problem of recruiting and also retaining existing staff in our hospitals, schools, police services and in fact in many other places of employment. You may have seen reports recently about Queen’s and King George Hospitals budget pressures, despite a record 11% increase in funding over last year. This was partly driven by the hospitals having to resort to costly agency staff because of gaps in their permanent numbers of nurses and other staff.  

What I hear from trade unions and employers is that this difficulty in recruiting  and keeping current staff is the cost and lack of availability of housing. These are people who would be employed in good jobs, filling posts that are essential for our public services and the economy of our area, but who simply cannot find a home in reasonable travelling distance that they can afford.

Of course, many years ago all the local hospitals, Oldchurch, Barking, King George, Harold Wood and Rush Green, had nurses’ homes for nurses in training and early in their careers. During the 1980s and 1990s these were abandoned, demolished and sold off. Similarly, though on a smaller scale, the police used to have station houses to provide accommodation to new recruits. So a big thank you to the Tory Governments that oversaw that genius move.

What then can be done to put right this mess. As a start, councils need to talk with the NHS, schools and the emergency services about their difficulties in bringing in and holding onto staff and find out the how much lack of homes that are affordable for their employees plays. So that when housing developments come forward, provision can be made. 

Putting right the messes of the last 20 years and more won’t be quick but that’s no excuse for not trying to make a start on sorting it.   

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.