A STAFF shortage led to a series of cancelled operations at Manchester's new children's hospital.

Several parents have complained after emergency procedures were cancelled at the last minute up to three times at the flagship unit which opened in the city centre in June.

Now the M.E.N has learned recent problems are the result of last minute resignations by 15 theatre nurses who decided to take jobs at North Manchester General rather than move to the city centre when the old children's hospitals in Pendlebury and Booth Hall closed.

Managers have now recruited 26 new nurses who will all begin work by mid October.

And they plan to appoint another six junior nurses in the next week.

Targets

However they insist they are already exceeding government targets for reducing cancelled operations this year - despite the upheaval of moving sites.

A hospital spokeswoman said: "We have undertaken a recruitment campaign for theatre staff and we have now successfully recruited staff who will be in post shortly.

"As an organisation our aim is to have no cancelled operations as we know how much distress this can cause patients and their families. Sometimes however this cannot be prevented due to a variety of reasons, such as more urgent cases.

"Over the last five months, including the move of the children's hospitals in June 55 per cent less cancellations have taken place than for the same time last year.

"The national target states that cancellations on the day of an operation should be no greater than 0.8 per cent and the children's hospital currently stands at 0.47 per cent."

Between April 1 and August 1 the hospital had to cancel 43 operations out of more than 7,000.

Earlier this month 17-month-old Cameron Shakoor, from Stretford, had an operation to reattach an almost severed finger cancelled three times in three days.

Olivia Foley, from Heywood, had to wait 20 hours for similar surgery.

There were originally 93 theatre nurses but by the end of October there will be 108.

Transfer

It is understood all staff were asked to transfer to the new hospital but some who had originally agreed to move changed their minds at the last minute because of family commitments.

The extra staff will increase capacity at the hospital's nine theatres which are used between 9am and 9pm with one team of staff working overnight on people who need immediate surgery.