A new Health Foundation report has recently found that England could face a shortfall of 42,000 nurses 2020, equivalent to 12% of the nursing workforce.

The report reveals almost half of all nurses are concerned that there is not a sufficient amount of nurses to allow them to do their job properly. It was also revealed NHS staff on pay bands 5 or above will have reduced by 12% between 2010/11 and 2020/21.

It has been warned that without a change to pay, the situation of nursing shortages could become worryingly more severe.

Anita Charlesworth, Director of Research and Economics at the Health Foundation, said: “Poor workforce planning is on one of the key risks facing the NHS. We are still not training enough nurses, doing little to stop nurses leaving, and there seems to be no plan for pay policy following almost a decade of pay restraint.”

She also added: “Half of nurses don’t feel staffing levels are safe. The stress this places on nurses is causing many to leave the health service […] whatever the outcome of the election, the new government will have to finally get a grip of workforce planning in the health service.”

 

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