DORSET County Hospital’s deputy director of nursing has admitted the organisation is struggling to recruit nurses and may look overseas to recruit staff again.

Neal Cleaver was giving an update to members of the Dorset Health Scrutiny Committee on concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection last year.

He said that following the inspection last summer the CQC raised one major concern surrounding the storage of medicines but was satisfied with the action the hospital had taken when it carried out a follow-up visit in October.

Mr Cleaver said the hospital was actively trying to recruit more nurses but there was a general lack of applicants for vacant roles.

He said: “The adverts are out there we just don’t have the people applying. We may have to look at overseas recruitment again.”