NHS job vacancies becoming a national crisis

It has been reported that the number of unfulfilled NHS jobs has once again started to climb. Roughly one in 11 posts is currently vacant.

NHS bosses and government ministers have attempted to overcome staff shortages, but with the increasing demands on the NHS the situation has now been described as a national emergency.

Between April and June 2018 the number of unfulfilled posts were:

• nurses – 42,000 (11.8%)
• doctors – 11,500 (9.3%)
• all posts – 108,000 (9.2%).

These numbers are higher than they were this time last year. The NHS is having to overspend on temporary staff in order to uphold hospital, ambulance and mental health services.

In the last three months, the number of unfulfilled nursing jobs has unexpectedly increased by 17%.

Staff shortages are a huge problem for the NHS, particularly as the NHS is also suffering with an increased demand for care and an ever-growing pressure on finances.

Fewer targets – such as A&E waiting times – are being met and staff are being hugely strained to try and uphold the services that the NHS provides.

Hopefully, staff shortages will drop over the coming years as training places for doctors and nurses are to grow by 25%.

Amanda Cavanagh, a Medical Negligence Specialist at Ashtons Legal, says: “The pressures placed on the NHS as a result of staff shortages are intolerable and can unfortunately lead to medical mistakes. Despite the welcome news that the number of training places is to increase, the burden of university fees is prohibitive to many considering a career in the NHS. Perhaps another way to encourage recruitment would be to scrap university fees specifically in relation to NHS training.”