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To: RealMuLan who wrote (55434)	11/2/2004 12:20:21 PM
From: RealMuLan	Respond to of 74559

Record number of nurses flock to the States Britain is suffering a record exodus of nurses as the number of healthcare professionals choosing work in America has more than doubled in the last year, according to latest figures. The Royal College of Nursing warns the race for the States means the National Health Service is being forced to increase its dependence on poaching nurses from poorer nations. There are also fears that with doctors and nurses flocking abroad many hospitals will struggle to retain their foreign recruits as well as domestic professionals. In a report published yesterday, more than 2,200 verification checks on nurses have been logged by US employers - up from just over a 1,000 the previous year. Those seeking to leave Britain said the US offered them huge pay rises, bonuses and improved living and working conditions. Some packages even offer two months’ rent-free accommodation, air fares, family visas, and suitable schooling – additional to the incentive of £39,000 per year. The Nursing Times said that a growing number of American companies have been spotted at job fairs in the UK, coupled with enticing adverts placed in the professional press. Commentators point out this is a result of the declaration across the Pacific that one million extra nursing staff will be needed for hospitals, over the next decade. Canada and Australia also report deficits in trained medical nurses but concern for Britain focuses on the critical shortage of some 30,000 nursing staff. In 2003 it is believed more than 8,000 left to work abroad – at locations including the US, the highest amount in ten years. Beverly Malone, general secretary of the RCN, said the unprecedented increase could lead to a decline in patient care across the health service. "Up until recent years, it's tended to be a one-way street in the UK," she said. "Tens of thousands of nurses coming in but relatively few leaving." "However, we are starting to see a worrying trend. With more than 8,000 nurses now leaving the UK annually, it is going to have a detrimental impact on the stock of nursing staff available." She said the report exposed the health service's growing reliance on bank and agency nurses which has rocketed over the last few years. Last year, NHS spending on agency nurses stood at £628m, almost triple the amount in 1997. The RCN said they must assess why so many nurses prefer to work on a temporary basis rather than feeling unable to commit on a full-time basis. They said nurses often rate the chance to choose their working hours and urged employers to do more with better flexible working to improve retention. Nov 2, 2004 freelanceuk.com