New figures show NHS South West facing thousands of job vacancies

• Watch Richard Payne's report

New figures have revealed there are thousands of job vacancies across South West NHS services.

Of the 3,000 unfilled roles almost 1,000 are nursing positions, after many left their jobs since the start of the pandemic.

One former NHS nurse Sarah Richards left her role due to suffering mental health problems. She says daily stresses and a lack of support forced her to quit.

She told ITV West Country: "The stresses were there every single day - being short-staffed, not having the right medications, not having enough beds, not having enough bed linen. It was just relentless."

Sarah said she often felt "heartbroken coming away from work".

Working conditions were, she says, often 'chaotic' and two years after qualifying her mental health was suffering so much she quit.

Across the West Country there were 2,975 vacancies in all NHS roles in August. That is 800 more than the same time last year. 

7.8% of those roles were unfilled, and 993 of them were in nursing and midwifery.

At the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Taunton's Musgrove Park, there were 253 unfilled posts in August this year.

79 of those roles were in nursing and midwifery, and it's seen vacancy numbers increase across most departments.

Current NHS staff are being offered extra hours and pay to pick up the extra work which is increasing in the face of winter pressures.

Clare Boobyer-Jones from the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust told ITV West Country: "It's a very difficult time and where we have vacancies that does put pressure on our other staff, but we're doing everything we can to try and fill that."