A DAMNING report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has claimed the National Health Service is neglecting nurses aged over 50.

The report claims the NHS is paying insufficient attention to its older staff and is not doing enough to retain and recruit experienced nurses in its drive to overcome staff shortages.

Despite a rapidly ageing nursing population the report stated there is little being done to cut long-term stress and difficulties in the workplace.

However, Chris Shanks, recruitment and retainment manager with York Hospitals NHS Trust, said there were plenty of opportunities for nurses coming into or returning to the profession.

Report author Professor Roger Watson, of the University of Hull, said: "The NHS has not been devoting enough specific attention to nurturing older nurses as a valuable resource.

"The result is that nurses feel they are not being helped by their employers to address the difficulties associated with growing older in a rapidly changing service. This undoubtedly contributes to an earlier exit from nursing than is otherwise the case."

Mrs Shanks said that a number of nurses over the age of 50 were working at the trust, or had applied for re-training.

She said: "We don't discriminate against anybody over 50 and we don't ask people's ages when they make applications to the trust.

"When staff get a bit older, if they choose to reduce their hours we would look at that and see if there's any way we could do that. In fact we would do that for any staff.

"Older people can also apply to the University of York for the Return to Practice course. It can take on 20 people, three times a year and of those 20, eight will come to York Hospital to do their placements."

Mrs Shanks said that if the trust was unable to accommodate a nurse's preferred working hours or area of work, then suitable alternatives would be found.

Updated: 10:39 Thursday, July 24, 2003