2,782, left the Trust over last four years

In total 2782 staff left the health authority between 2017 and 2020. A detailed breakdown of the leavers by staff group shows that 1,077 (39 per cent) were nurses and midwives.

A few weeks ago the ‘Journal’ reported how 412 nurses and midwives under the age of 40 had left the Trust from January 2017.

Forty-four consultants or other doctors had also left during the same timeframe.

Aontú councillor Emmet Doyle who obtained the figures by way of a Freedom of Information request, said this was an ‘astonishing number.’

In a joint response the Department of Health and Western Trust said: “Many of these ‘leavers’ are actually moving to other parts of the health system, as doctors and nurses tend to do throughout their careers.”

More details of the staff who have left have been released by the Trust. By staff group the numbers leaving were as follows: Nursing & Midwifery (1077; 39%), Social Services (422; 15%), Professional & Tech (402; 14%), Support Service/User Experience (382; 14%), Admin & Clerical (322;12%), Medical & Dental (142; 5%), Estates (29; 1%), Senior Executives (6; 0.2%). The Trust has also provided a breakdown of the reasons for leaving.

In total 1,403 of those who left resigned, a majority, in fact, of 50.4%. Other reasons for leaving were: Retirement (606; 22%), End of Fixed Term Contract/Event (305; 11%), Ill Health - Termination (189; 7%), Ill Health - Retirement (109; 4%), Transfer To Other Health and Social Care Organisation (88; 3%), Dismissal (29; 1%), Redundancy - Voluntary (24; 0.8%), Death in Service (20; 0.7%), Voluntary Early Retirement (7; 0.25%), and Other (2; 0.07%).