And if this continues, it hopes to be able to re-open Minehead Community Hospital in the next couple of months.
Dr Nick Broughton, chief executive of Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust which runs the hospitals, issued a statement saying: “Our recruitment efforts continue to see an improving picture for Minehead and Williton.”
He said a successful recruitment day was held in Minehead on February 24 and the trust was following up queries about vacancies for healthcare assistants, administration staff, apprentices, work experience, volunteer posts and rehabilitation assistants.
It had now recruited for most of the healthcare assistant posts, had a further part-time post currently being shortlisted for interview, and still had 2.2 full-time nursing posts left to recruit for Minehead’s Exmoor ward.
The trust will interview shortlisted candidates in the next couple of weeks for the small number of healthcare assistant vacancies left (2.45 full-time posts) for Williton’s Meadow ward, and it has successfully recruited 2.64 full-time nursing posts – but still has a small number of vacancies.
“We hope to be able to reopen Minehead Community Hospital within the next couple of months, though of course we are dependent on continued successful recruitment,” Dr Broughton said.