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A HUGE increase in nursing staff quitting the profession early will make government NHS ‘reforms’ impossible to deliver, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) declares today.
Thousands of UK-educated nurses are walking away within 10 years of first registering, due to burnout and exhaustion brought on by low staffing levels, increasing patient need and low pay, says the RCN.
The RCN warns ministers they face a ‘perfect storm’ of more staff leaving and fewer joining the profession, threatening patient care.
By the end of next Parliament, more than 11,000 nurses will have quit the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register within the first 10 years of gaining their registration, equivalent to the entire district nurse, health visitor and school nurse workforce in England.
The RCN analysed the latest NMC data of UK-educated nursing staff leaving the register in England. 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%.
According to the NMC’s leavers survey, nursing staff cite poor physical and mental health, burnout or exhaustion, and changes in personal circumstances as key reasons for leaving, outside of retirement.
The government is planning to ‘modernise’ the NHS and shift care into the community, requiring tens of thousands of additional nurses working in local communities outside hospitals.
However, by 2036/37, the estimated shortfall in community nurses is expected to be 37,000, with RCN analysis showing this figure is likely to rise.
The RCN says the government must take two approaches – substantially raise pay to make nursing more attractive and abolish graduate debt for nurses who agree to stay working in the NHS and public sector. This would boost recruitment, retention and ease staff shortages.
Across England’s NHS alone, there are over 32,000 unfilled nursing posts. Since 2010/11, the pay of the average nurse has fallen by 23% in real terms.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: ‘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.
‘It is a perfect storm for ministers as thousands leave the profession early and student recruitment collapses. It’s also a heartbreaking state of affairs for those who want to spend their lives caring for others.
‘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. Much more needs to be done to attract people into nursing and keep them once they’re there. If no action is taken, the shift from hospital to community will be impossible to deliver.’
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