STAFFING issues mean that wards are “not safe” at Victoria Hospital, according to one nurse who works there.

The worker, who did not want to be named, is the latest nurse to contact the Press with fears about what’s going on in the wards.

She said that the problem was becoming “beyond dangerous” and told the Press: “You go into wards and your stomach is in your mouth every time, you are not in areas which you are trained in – it is gut-wrenching. 

“I am ashamed to be a nurse in that hospital.”

Earlier this month, another unnamed nurse told the Press staffing levels at the hospital were at “an all-time low” and told us: “I dread every shift and pray that I don’t miss anything that could impact a patient”.

Our story prompted this latest nurse to endorse those comments and add her own concerns, saying: “Nurses are being moved out of their specialist areas. 

“It is not safe, there are no permanent members of staff, it is run by agency or ward nurses. There is no continuity of care for patients – results aren’t handed over properly and you can’t give family updates because you just don’t know. It is so, so dangerous.”

“It is so emotionally-draining,” she said. “There is no support from management, they don’t want problems, they want solutions.”

NHS Fife’s director of nursing, Janette Owens, said: “Healthcare staff in Fife, much like their colleagues elsewhere in the country, have been working in very challenging circumstances for a significant period of time.

"Our services remain under extreme pressure, and earlier this week, we saw almost 300 patients attending our emergency department on a single day – the highest number we have ever seen.

“Safety remains our single biggest priority and staffing levels are continually monitored across all areas. Within the Victoria Hospital, a daily safety huddle takes place each morning with representatives from each ward area to ensure staffing is in place.

“We recognise, however, that our staff have been working in a very challenging environment for a sustained period of time and we continue to work with colleagues across our services to ensure that a range of support remains in place, as we have throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Where staff have concerns about any aspect of their role, we listen, and there are well-established processes across NHS Scotland to enable them to do so, and indeed do so anonymously should they wish.

"Staff are encouraged to highlight any concerns they may have in order that any issues can be looked into and addressed. Such feedback plays a valuable part in helping us to improve the services we provide. We also have a Whistleblowing Champion on our board.”