Hospitals chief Raymonde Dill was yesterday branded a liar by furious overseas nurses.

And they denied the Hospitals Board chairman's claim that expatriate staff quit giving only "two to four weeks' notice'' -- or that they handed in their resignations at the end of the summer.

One angry overseas staffer at the King Edward Hospital said it was "an insult'' to the professionalism and standards of non-Bermudian nurses to suggest that staff were only here for sun, sea and sand.

She added: "I've not known one nurse to leave at the end of the summer -- it's implying they're only here for the beach.

"It's unfair to make non-Bermudians out to be uncommitted -- they are. They have staffing shortages because of inadequate management and an inability to recruit staff.

"They are totally committed, totally dedicated nurses and when they're at work, they give good care. Nurses here all come from countries where training is good and many have training in specialised areas as well.'' And she pointed out that overseas nurses stood to lose as much as thousands of dollars if they failed to give at least three months' notice.

She said: "If we don't give three months' notice, we lose all our benefits -- our pension contributions and our holiday benefits.

"They are attempting to manipulate the public by saying there's a shortage of staff because of non-Bermudians -- it's because they're incompetent and can't organise themselves.'' And she insisted: "All the nurses I know have stayed for their three-year contract, or are on their second one.'' But she added poor morale, lack of promotion and poor management was set to take a bigger toll on a hospital already struggling to cover shifts.

The staffer said: "I've worked in several countries and I've never seen such little respect in my life as overseas nurses have to put up with here.'' And the staffer added that hospitals chiefs needed to stop spending money on public relations stunts and plough the cash into patient care.

She said: "They need to stop building fountains and get the hospital staffed properly so patients get safe care when they're in here.'' She also warned that word would travel on the international grapevine that Bermuda was not a good place to work.

Nurses fight back The staffer said: "Everyone I know would not recommend Bermuda to work in because of what's going on at the moment.

And she added: "The information Mr. Dill's been putting out is just incorrect -- I don't know where he's getting it from.'' Mr. Dill and critical care programme manager Kareen Richards on Friday denied that there was a staffing crisis in the emergency department -- but admitted nurses were being pulled in for overtime or off other wards to cover.

And they denied insider claims that resignations were rocketing and sick time was increasing.

Mr. Dill could not be contacted for comment on the fresh claims last night.

Another non-emergency KEMH staffer warned that, despite hospital statements, that the King Edward was in the grip of a staffing crisis -- and that it was set to worsen, putting patient care at serious risk.

The staffer said that in one department alone, staffing was set to drop by more than a third by the end of the year.

And he said: "I just get so angry -- all they do is criticise the non-Bermudian nurses.

"Bermudians are able to give a month's notice, but as non-Bermudians, we give three months' notice -- which is fair because they have to go away and recruit overseas.

"Other nurses give even longer notice -- and they still haven't been replaced. It's ridiculous.'' Raymonde Dill: Nurses insulted by notice claims