GOVERNMENT promises to improve public services have been rocked by claims of a widespread staffing crisis in the key areas of education, health, and law and order.

Despite pledges of millions of pounds to boost recruitment, staff organisations claim there has been no impact on the number of teachers, nurses and police officers in the North-East and North Yorkshire.

And their claims were backed up by figures obtained by The Northern Echo.

The Department for Education and Employment claimed its figures showed there were now 5,800 more teachers nationwide than last year, a rise of almost 1.5 per cent.

But, among the 13 education authorities between York and North Tyneside, only five showed an increase of 1.5 per cent or more in the number of teachers.

And four - Middlesbrough, North Tyneside, Durham and Redcar and Cleveland - were employing fewer teachers than last year.

Education authorities have also reported continuing difficulties in recruiting in key subjects including maths, modern languages and information technology.

Martin Fisher, the National Union of Teachers' principal officer for the North-East and North Yorkshire, said the region was now feeling the effects of the teacher shortage, which had started in the South-East.

He said: "The serious problems of London are now starting to manifest themselves here.

"This is the culmination of years of problems and it will become very serious as an increasing number of teachers retire and we don't hit recruitment targets."

All four of the region's police forces have fewer officers this year than last, despite Government claims that an additional 9,000 officers are being taken on over the next three years.

Les Coverdale, Police Federation deputy secretary in North Yorkshire, said the increase was only replacing officers leaving the force through ill health or early retirement.

He said: "It doesn't mean law and order is going to break down, but it is a crisis when you see the impact it has on people trying to do their jobs. It increases the workload and the stresses and strains, and people regularly have their rest days cancelled."

Earlier this year, the Government claimed that more than 6,000 qualified nurses had joined the NHS over the past year.

But hospitals are still reporting difficulties in recruiting in some areas, with some trusts forced to look overseas.

A spokeswoman for South Tees Acute Hospitals Trust said it had problems recruiting nurses to work in theatre, intensive therapy and paediatric intensive care.

She said: "We do have shortfalls in specific areas, which are a problem for every trust."

Sandra Bullock, Royal College of Nursing assistant officer for the Northern region, said their figures showed the NHS was 17,000 nurses short of its requirements.

She said: "We are struggling to recruit nurses and, if we had a major flu epidemic, that would have a serious impact on our ability to cope.

"It is a problem everywhere, from the small cottage hospitals to the bigger trusts, and we need to do something about it."

Unions anger - Page 3