An analysis of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register data by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) revealed that nurses are increasingly ‘quitting early’, exacerbating an already acute shortage in the NHS.
‘Thousands are quitting early because they are burnt out, underpaid and demoralised,’ said RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger. ‘It is a perfect storm for ministers as thousands leave the profession early and student recruitment collapses.’
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The data showed that between 2021 and 2024, the number of nurses leaving within 10 years of registering increased by 43%, and within 5 years by 67%. The RCN claimed that if these trends continue, over 11,000 nurses would have left the register by the end of this parliament
The NMC leavers survey provided some insight as to why nurses were leaving the profession. Nursing staff from various experience levels cited reasons such as poor physical and mental health, burnout and exhaustion from already low staff levels, and lack of government recognition. This follows news of a decrease in students being accepted on to nursing courses, meaning that even fewer are joining the profession to fill the positions left behind.
The RCN suggests that in order to prevent current staff from leaving, and to entice more students to join the profession, the Government must increase wages for nurses, as well as waive tuition fees for students if it wishes to complete the aims of the NHS reform.
‘[The health secretary] needs to give [staff] a reason to stay,’ said Professor Ranger. ‘We urgently need new investment in nursing, including through better pay. Waiving the loans of those who commit to a career nursing in the NHS and public sector is crucial. The Government cannot afford to wait.’