New Report Reveals 40,000 Nurses Left The NHS Last Year

"We know the size of the problem. We also know the cost. But what isn’t entirely clear is why so many Nurses are leaving."

In this article we look at just how many Nurses are still leaving the NHS and ask frontline staff to come forward and help us understand why?

An analysis by the Nuffield Trust think tank for the BBC has revealed that more than 40,000 Nurses left the NHS last year.

That equates to one in nine of the entire workforce.

These record numbers have all but cancelled out the rise in joiners – a boost that had briefly raised optimism about the future of NHS nursing recruitment.

The report raises fresh questions about the ability of the NHS to improve retention.

‘Highly Skilled With Years More Work To Give’

The think tank has revealed that many of the leavers weren’t necessarily retiring, and were skilled and experienced Nurses with more years to give to the NHS.

The report can’t identify the reasons for why so many Nurses have left with any precision, but it’s widely agreed that pay and increasing levels of stress have become pivotal.

Research from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) earlier this year suggested stress and a diminishing work-life balance were key reasons for Nurses leaving the NHS.

A survey by the NMC also revealed that just 43% of Nurses who’d left the nursing register had done so to retire.

The Rising Cost Of Failing To Retain NHS Nurses

The damage of failing to retain NHS Nurses is complex and vast.

Through our own research, we discovered that it costs, on average, £12,000 to replace a fully trained Nurse.

Or to look at it differently, some have estimated that the cost of not addressing retention in the NHS will be more than £20 billion in total.

NHS staff retention rates are dropping, and it has been estimated that the cost of not addressing this issue will be £21.7 billion

Then there are all the other effects. The de-motivating impact on staff, the resulting need for agency workers, and the overall damage to organisational performance.

You can find out more about the true cost of failing to retain NHS staff in our detailed report.

Why Are Nurses Leaving The NHS? Have Your Say

The scale of this problem has once again become front page news.

We know the size of the problem. We also know the cost. But what isn’t entirely clear is why so many Nurses are leaving.

The Nuffield Trust’s research draws some cautious conclusions regarding all leavers within the NHS – not just Nurses.

While retirement is still the biggest reason for departures, work-life balance is a significant second – with four times more people citing this reason than a decade ago.

Other major reasons cited for leaving included health problems, stress, low staffing levels and feeling undervalued.

But various surveys cited don’t offer a clear consensus.

As ever, the voices that need to be heard are those at the frontline of NHS nursing.

So, what’s your view? Why are so many Nurses leaving the NHS? And what should be done to stop the exodus?

Share your comments below.