A HOSPITAL which closed after 125 years due to staffing shortages could be reopened if NHS managers recruited nurses from abroad, the leader of an influential health body has claimed.

Councillor Jim Clark, chairman of North Yorkshire's scrutiny of health committee, said South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust could also look to incorporate time working at the Lambert Memorial Hospital into recruits' contracts to ensure the future of the Thirsk infirmary.

Cllr Clark made the comments after it emerged at a trust selection event for newly qualified nurses, not one of more than 30 wanted to work at the Lambert, which provides services including rehabilitation, diagnostics, pain control and palliative care, as they were seeking roles in larger, acute hospital settings.

Former Mayor of Thirsk, Councillor Janet Watson, questioned how the trust was promoting the roles, adding: "It is a beautiful area to work, it's hard to believe nobody wants to work there."

The hospital, which opened in 1890, closed last September after mounting concerns over patient safety due to staffing pressures.

The trust said after several months of efforts to recruit staff it still only had 1.5 nurses who wanted to work there, where a minimum of 4.5 were needed to reopen the hospital.

It is understood local adverts generated significant interest in the Lambert roles, but there remained insufficient nurses to provide a high quality service.

A trust spokeswoman said it had attempted to recruit overseas staff and due to the demand for nurses, they could pick where they wanted to work.

She added nurse recruitment was a major issue across the country, particularly in elderly care.

She said: "We are continuing to recruit nurses and hope to interview further candidates, who have expressed an interest in working at the hospital, over the next month, although we need to ensure staffing on the ward is sustainable."