NURSING staff coming up to retirement age could be given the chance to return part-time in a bid to help hospitals cope with winter pressures and staff vacancies.

South Durham Health Care NHS Trust is currently looking into a health service circular which details a number of flexible retirement arrangements aimed at retaining experienced nurses.

Presently there is around 50,000 qualified nurses working within the NHS who are aged 50 or over.

Each year, between 4,000-5,000 nurses aged from 55 onwards choose to retire. Of those two-thirds are believed to be in good health.

The initiative is being seen not only as a way to boost dwindling nursing levels nationally, but also as a way for hospitals to plug the winter staffing gap created by increases in flu and other illnesses.

Options currently under consideration include:

l Winding down into part-time work without reducing pension benefits

l Stepping down into a less demanding lower-paid role that preserves former pension entitlements

l Retiring and starting to receive a pension while carrying on with part-time or full-time work

Nurses who opt to retire will also be given the opportunity to top up their pension income by joining a 'winter register' working on a temporary basis as and when needed.

However, retired people aged under 60 can not earn more through pension and post-retirement employment than their salary at retirement. If they do their pension will be reduced.

A BED crisis normally experienced only during the winter months hit two major South Durham hospitals last week.

Mr John Saxby, chief executive of South Durham Health Care NHS trust, said a surge in medical emergencies on one day last week had created a severe local bed shortage at Darlington Memorial and Bishop Auckland General hospitals.

He said: "We were left with only one bed free at Darlington and three at Bishop Auckland which created severe problems for the hospitals and the staff.

"The considerable influx of patients was due to medical emergencies and the staff responded magnificently to the demands placed on them."

There are 250 medical beds spread across the Darlington and Bishop Auckland sites and the trust says demand for them all has not eased since winter. The explanation given to trust members was the trust area's ageing population.

A NEW hearing aid service for people living in Barnard Castle was approved this week.

Members approved the setting up of a twice monthly service which will enable local people to make appointments at the Richardson Hospital to have their hearing aids fitted, repaired or assessed.

The Friends of Richardson Hospital are donating £7,500 needed to purchase specialist equipment to develop the service.

Mrs Joanne Shotbolt, the Trust's senior chief audiologist, said: "It is often inconvenient or difficult for patients to get to Darlington or Bishop Auckland, particularly for elderly people. I am sure this will be a welcome extension to our service and we are very grateful to the Friends of Richardson Hospital for helping to make it possible."

The service is expected to be up and running by the end of September.