Nurses are leaving the NHS in their thousands, with the latest figures showing two-thirds were young nurses aged under 45.
Analysis by The King’s Fund suggests historic staffing shortages are being exacerbated by increasing numbers of nurses choosing to
leave the NHS – a new, emerging trend. The most recent data for the first months of 2022/23 shows a sudden uptick in vacant nursing posts, setting a record high at 46,000.
Between June 2021 and June 2022, there was a 25% increase in the number of NHS nurses leaving – an additional 7000 compared with the previous year. In total, more than 34,000 nurses left their role. The largest increase was seen among younger nurses – nearly 23,000 and up 26% on the previous year.
While the recruitment of nurses has been rising, the analysis suggests this has been undermined by demand for nurses during the pandemic and ongoing recovery.
The latest NHS Staff Survey showed that 34% of nurses often thought about leaving, 52% had felt unwell as a result of work-related stress and 40% felt burnt out because of work.
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