Eventually you live long enough to see things going around again. 30 years ago, it was common practise to have residents for doctors and nurses, but for some reason this fell out of favour. Older medics will have lots of stories about parties in the staff accommodation.
The most visible example in Belfast is the old staff tower blocks at Broadway, which were abandoned in 2015 and are a complete eyesore.
But the Telegraph reports that some NHS trusts in England are looking at building accommodation to attract key workers, from the report:
The NHS will build affordable homes on its unused land so staff can live closer to work.
Nurses, cleaners and other healthcare staff will be offered cut-price rent to live on the estate of NHS trusts, in an effort to improve staff recruitment and retention.
The land will be leased to housing developers to build and manage the homes but will still be owned by the NHS, under proposals announced by the Government.
The initiative, part of a 10-year capital plan for the NHS, will be trialled at a few trusts before being rolled out nationally if it’s successful.
Most homes will be let at discounted rates, but some will pay the market rate, the Government said, such as consultants new to an area who are looking for short-term accommodation.
Health officials said it would mean staff could spend less time commuting, making it easier for them to work in areas where housing costs are highest.
Full details of the new housing scheme will be published later this year, said the Department of Health and Social Care.
It is a sensible idea as our hospitals are sitting on huge areas of land that could accommodate accommodation or, indeed, revamp or replace existing accommodation such as the Broadway Towers.
Partnering with local housing associations to create and manage staff accommodation seems a sensible idea to me.
Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.
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