Nearly a quarter of a million nurses have quit the NHS since 2010, analysis from the Labour Party has found.
The party’s research found that there has been a 55% increase in voluntary resignations from NHS workers since 2010/11, while the number of staff quitting due to poor work-life balance rose by 169% between 2011/12 and 2017/18.
“Health and care services are losing thousands of experienced, dedicated nursing staff who feel as if no one is sufficiently listening to their concerns and patient care is routinely compromised by chronic staff shortages. The RCN is calling for accountability for staffing of safe and effective care to be enshrined in law in England - at the highest levels - to ensure we have the right numbers of nurses in the right places across health and social care,’ said Royal College of Nursing Acting Chief Executive and General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair.
Jon Ashworth, the shadow health secretary has said that Labour would commit £330 million to staffing if the party was elected to government. Additionally, he has also pledged to re-introduce nurse bursaries, boost investment in pay, guarantee training for staff hit by technological advances and greenlight work visas to anyone offered a job in the NHS.
‘It will be impossible to grow the number of nursing students in higher education, and refresh our workforce, without a clear commitment to addressing supply and a fresh funding of at least £1 billion to replace the existing flawed system,’ added Dame Donna. ‘We also need a sustained increase in funding for continuing professional development which must be tailored to ensure nursing staff have the skills they need now and for the future.’