Covid-19 Didn’t Bring Retired Nurses Back – But It Is Highlighting A Deeper Problem

NHS England has revealed only 1,007 former nurses out of 71,000 returned to work last summer while Covid-sickness absence left hospitals with a net drop of 3,694 full-time nurses.

According to a recently published NHS report, only 1,007 eligible former nurses out of a total of 71,000 returned to work during the first peak in COVID-19 hospitalisations.

Meanwhile, sickness caused by COVID-19 actually left hospitals with a net drop of 3694 full-time nurses.

It’s also been suggested that thousands more applied to return, but were prevented by the complication of the process and so-called ‘red tape’.

This suggests the government’s much-advocated attempt to bring back retired nurses did not succeed.

[SOVRN-468x60-BANNER][SOVRN-320x50-BANNER]

Administrative errors lead to frontline shortages

According to the report, the main reason the campaign failed was poor administration, rather than a lack of willingness from former nurses.

Firstly, data was lacking on the numbers of nurses actually needed, as well as the skillsets that were especially in demand.

But the bulk of the criticism was reserved for consultancy firm Capita, who the project was outsourced to.

In some cases, for example, it took the firm 26 days to hand nurses’ information to the relevant trusts. This report offers more ammunition to the many critics who are unhappy with how the government has managed recruitment during the pandemic.

Call in the military

Shortly after the report was released, some NHS trusts across the UK started using military personnel to help with staff shortages.

These scenes paint a particularly stark image of where NHS nursing currently is.

And it’s also worth noting the deeper, underlying issues faced in terms of nursing recruitment and retention – which could actually worsen after the pandemic.

The number of nurses suggesting they intend to leave the profession has now risen to 35%, up from 25% in 2019.

Therefore, retention is just as big a problem as recruitment currently.

NHS England has said it is investing an extra £180 million into nursing recruitment and training – and UCAS has reported a 26% jump in successful nursing student applications.

These are rare positives within an otherwise difficult situation.

An age-old problem gets worse

The nursing shortages facing the NHS are better seen not as a new problem, but an intensification of an existing one.

Between 2010 and 2018, the number of doctors working in the NHS increased by 15%.

Within the same period, the number of nurses barely increased at all.

OECD data also suggests that the UK is towards the bottom end of the table globally in terms of the number of nurses graduating over the last decade.

Applications continue to increase, so there is some hope that this long-term trend could start to change.

The pandemic has brought nursing into the spotlight, and inspired many to start their own nursing journey.

But it’s widely agreed that the root causes of long-term nursing shortages must be tackled and considered – because nursing shortages are not a new problem.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Thank you!