Nurses claim they are being booted out of flats at two of Oxford's main hospitals to make way for an influx of newly-recruited Australian nurses.

Eviction letters have been sent out to nurses at the Ivy Lane flats at the John Radcliffe Hospital and Chartwell House flats at the Churchill Hospital.

The letters, which nurses claim have been sent to 95 people, went out at the same time it was announced 102 nurses from Australia and New Zealand have been recruited to work in the county by the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust in response to a staffing crisis.

But one student nurse, who did not wish to be named, said the trust was treating its British nurses shabbily.

He said: "It is disgusting. There is a nursing shortage, Nurses don't get paid enough and the Oxford Radcliffe Trust treats us like this."

A nurse at The Churchill Hospital, who wished to remain anonymous, said feelings were running high. She said: "I have heard rumours some nurses are threatening to resign." The trust rents the subsidised flats out to students on minimum six-month contracts, but many keep on the accommodation for much longer.

One nurse who has been in the Ivy Lane flats for two years has been told she has until November 25 to vacate her room.

She received a letter from the Trust last week. Part of it read:

"As I am sure you can appreciate there is always significant pressure on me to house new nurses, doctors and other staff. In order to provide this accommodation it is necessary for me on occasions to request that existing tenants vacate their current accommodation.

"I am therefore issuing you with a notice requiring possession in accordance with the housing act 1988 as amended."

Trust head of estates Carl Jenkinson denied the evictions were to do with the Australians specifically.

He said: "Nurses have been given notice to quit ever since I have been here. When people come here they have accommodation for six months and after that they're expected to find accommodation."

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