Full story at The Guardian 17 January 2018
One in 10 nurses are leaving the NHS in England each year, according to official figures, raising fresh concerns about staffing shortages in hospitals.
Data published by NHS Digital on Wednesday shows that just under 33,500 nurses left the service in 2016-17 – 3,000 more than joined and 20% higher than the number who quit in 2012-13.
The worrying figures come amid an ongoing winter crisis fuelled by rising demand, coupled with staff and bed shortages.
The data shows more nurses have left the NHS in England than have joined for the past three years, with the deficit highest last year. In each of those three years, the number quitting has been 10% of the total.
Janet Davies, head of the Royal College of Nursing, told the BBC, which initially requested the figures, that they were of great concern. “The government must lift the NHS out of this dangerous and downward spiral,” she said.
“We are haemorrhaging nurses at precisely the time when demand has never been higher. The next generation of British nurses aren’t coming through just as the most experienced nurses are becoming demoralised and leaving.”