Copeland MP Trudy Harrison has helped welcome a group of newly-recruited international nurses to the West Cumberland Hospital in Whitehaven.
Mrs Harrison was invited to the Whitehaven hospital to meet Kelechi Glory Chukwuemeka and Oluwatoyin Olawumi Adefisan, from Nigeria, and Binju Raju, from India; part of the 20-strong international cohort who have joined the nursing staff in recent months.
Kelechi, Oluwatoyin and Binju shared their experiences with Mrs Harrison of nursing in Nigeria and India respectively, compared with their new roles in West Cumbria, and outlined their ambitions for the future.
Mrs Harrison said: “It was a pleasure to meet Kelechi, Oluwatoyin and Binju and it was wonderful to hear that they have received such a warm welcome to the hospital and to the area.
“They have decided to leave Nigeria and India to come halfway across the world to further their careers and to provide for their families and I am full of admiration for their bravery and determination.
“It is also an excellent advert for the West Cumberland Hospital that it can attract international nurses of this calibre to come and work here and help provide a service we desperately need.”
The North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, has a successful programme of international recruitment, and hopes are high that 30 more overseas nurses will arrive at the West Cumberland Hospital before the end of 2021.
The trust works closely with new recruits and their families to help them integrate into the local community.
Christine Musgrave, matron, said: “We’re extremely proud of our international recruits, they have settled really well into the trust and are now valuable members of the team here at the West Cumberland Hospital.
“They have learned so much since they first arrived and they have also taught us a lot along the way too. Their knowledge and skills are invaluable and we really appreciate their ongoing hard work.”
