1 week Ago By [email protected] (Sophie Huskisson)
Overworked and demoralised nurses quitting in droves mean Labour’s NHS reforms are “impossible to deliver”, a leading union has warned. More than 11,000 nurses will have left the profession within the first 10 years of becoming registered by the end of this parliament, according to analysis published by the Royal College of Nursing on Monday. The union is warning Health Secretary Wes Streeting that he must invest in nursing through better pay and by waiving graduates’ student loans if they stay working in the NHS .
It said he is facing a “perfect storm” of more staff leaving and fewer joining the profession, which is threatening patient care. Between 2021 and 2024, the numbers leaving within 10 years of registering increased by 43%, whilst those leaving within five years rose a staggering 67%, the RCN said. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s survey of leavers, nursing staff said poor physical and mental health, burnout or exhaustion, and changes in personal circumstances were key reasons for leaving nursing outside of retirement.
Those leaving are a combination of newly qualified nursing staff quitting the profession and experienced staff who had returned from retirement during the pandemic. The government wants to modernise the NHS and shift care into the community, requiring tens of thousands of additional nurses working in local communities outside hospitals . But by 2036/37 the estimated shortfall in community nurses is expected to be 37,000.
The RCN says its analysis shows that without intervention, this figure is likely to rise. Be the first with news from Mirror Politics US ELECTION WHATSAPP: Join our US Election WhatsApp group here to be first to get all the biggest news and results as America heads to the polls. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
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NEWSLETTER: Or sign up here to the Mirror's Politics newsletter for all the best exclusives and opinions straight to your inbox. PODCAST: And listen to our exciting new political podcast The Division Bell , hosted by Mirror interim political editor Lizzy Buchan and Express political editor Sam Lister, every Thursday. RCN General Secretary Nicola Ranger said the situation was “heartbreaking” for nurses who want to spend their lives caring for others.
Nursing is an incredible career, and it should be one for life, but thousands are quitting early because they are burnt out, underpaid and demoralised,” she said. "Every nurse who walks away takes with them their skill, expertise and passion for care. That’s terrible for patients, but also represents lost investment for government too.
The Health Secretary urged staff to stay and help him reform the NHS. He needs to give them a reason to stay.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “This government has inherited a workforce that has been undervalued for years, leaving them burnt out and demoralised.
That's why we accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies to award NHS staff with an above inflation pay rise. It will take time, but together we will recover and rebuild our NHS, so it is a service staff can be proud to work in once again.".
