Long hours trigger record level of NHS resignations

THE number of NHS staff quitting over long hours has trebled in six years, figures show.

Leading nurses claim patient care is being “routinely compromised by chronic staff shortages” which can only get worse without any action.

The NHS figures show that more than 200,000 nurses have left the service since 2010 – including more than 160,000 staff who left for reasons other than retirement.

In 2017/18, more than 26,000 nurses left the health service – a rise from 21,041 in 2010/11. The figures for all staff groups show the number of voluntary resignations has increased by 55 per cent since 2011/12.

And voluntary resignations citing poor work-life balance were the largest reason for such departures – with 18,013 such cases in 2017/18, compared with 6,699 in 2011/12.

The NHS data, analysed by the Labour Party, found that in 2017/18, more than 10 per cent of nurses, health visitors and midwives left the NHS.

Royal College of Nursing acting chief executive, Dame Donna Kinnair, said: “Health and care services are losing thousands of experienced, dedicated nursing staff who feel as if no one is sufficiently listening to their concerns and patient care is routinely compromised by chronic staff shortages.”

In a speech today, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth is set to use the “staggering” figures to show the NHS is facing a workforce “crisis”.

A Government spokesman said 15,800 more hospital nurses have been employed since 2010, with 52,000 more in training. “We are improving retention by promoting flexibility and career development,” he added.