[Margaret Pilkington]

I have spent a lot of time in and around hospital this year.
I cannot recall a single day where the staff were not run off their feet....this was on a surgical ward with some very poorly patients.
Patients with urgent and complex needs.
When I was in charge of my own ward I would use my own staff flexibly to cope with unexpected occurrences , but this is only possible if you have adequate staff to start off with.
Also you need staff who can and are willing to work flexibly, and this was fully discussed at interview.