Unfilled NHS Posts. Home Office Blocked Doctors. Community Cafe

One of the consequences of the Brexit referendum has been the spotlight on immigration and the governments aim to curtail it. So, on the one hand, Jeremy Hunt concedes that the NHS might need more investment and Boris Johnson wants Brexit money for a substantial cash injection.

Yet on the other hand, that same institution is suffering from the hardened immigration stance. The Royal College of Nursing is alarmed at the peak in nursing vacancies rising to 34,260 in the third quarter of the last year. According to the Guardian, Hospitals in London are finding it impossible to fill the advertised 2,545 posts for nurses and midwives of three summer months. Only 42 posts were filled. Further north, the West Midlands were most successful, filling 42% of advertised posts.

Meanwhile 33,000 nurses quite the NHS each year, adding to the pressures and dissatisfaction felt by many in the NHS.

Even more perverse, is the Home Office blocking overseas senior doctors from filling essential roles, because their salaries were seen as lower than the required minimum salary of £55,000. Here, Cambridge University Hospital found that three appointees had their visas declined for this reason.

The Community cafe was open this afternoon, but our numbers were sadly depleted due to illness and hospital or doctor's appointments. Still, it was a good event. I joined the Carcassonne board game table, we had some new faces and Nathalie spoilt us with her baking - Mango roulade, Lemon and poppyseed cake and white chocolate and raspberry tart.