North Cumbria NHS lures doctors with salary raise

The trust is trying to attract consultants to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle (R) and West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven

Hospital bosses are having to offer thousands of pounds in incentives to try to attract consultants.

The North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust is looking for six paediatricians to work in Carlisle and Whitehaven.

An online job advert offers potential applicants up to 10% more than their basic salary - which ranges from £76,761 to £103,490 - for four years.

Attempts to attract staff to the area have "proved challenging" in the past two years, the trust said.

"National workforce shortages mean specialists are in high demand across the country and are often attracted to larger centres," it said.

'Competitive offer'

Director of human resources Christine Brereton said many trusts were "struggling" to recruit paediatricians.

"We have had a lot of feedback from staff and our communities about how we could make the jobs here more attractive so have spent some time working with paediatric teams to make sure we have a really competitive offer," she said.

Applicants for the jobs at West Cumberland Hospital and the Cumberland Infirmary may also be eligible for a relocation package of up to £8,000.

The trust came out of special measures in March, after four years.

It was one of 11 highlighted in a report into higher than expected death rates in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal in 2013.