Ms Michele Monahan:

If a member of staff leaves, the local manager submits the necessary forms, which go to the next layer. If the hospital approves it, it then goes to the group for approval. There are delays of weeks in that process. The local manager hopes that somebody will advertise the position. Then there is the interview process followed by a delay of three to four months before anybody acts on it. If recruiting through the national service, it takes at least a year from submitting the application to having somebody on the ground.