The workforce is becoming overreliant on those nearing retirement or those who have retired and returned.
A new analysis reveals that over two-thirds of the nurses leaving the NHS are under 45.
The analysis of data from NHS Digital by the King’s Fund reveals a sharp increase in nurses leaving the NHS before retirement.
According to the research, around 67% of those leaving the NHS are leaving significant before retirement age.
With rumoured changes to NHS Pension abatement rules, experts worry the workforce is becoming too overreliant on those either nearing retirement or who have retired and returned to the workforce.
There are currently around 46,000 vacant nursing posts across the NHS in England – a record high and a figure that is likely to get significantly worse on the current trajectory.
A personal plea to nurses.
The news comes only days after a separate Nuffield Trust analysis which revealed more than 40,000 had walked away from the NHS in the past year.
Responding to the news, Nurses United’s Lead Organiser, Anthony Johnson, sent a personal plea to fellow nurses.
Mr Johnson said, “Everyday I speak to friends who have had to leave. At one point I myself was one of them!
“The low pay forces us to choose between doing a job we love, or struggling to feed our families. And the impact when we leave is on our patients, driving down safety.
“This story should be a wake-up call for this Government. But after 12 years of these kinds of stories, it’s clear to see that the only thing that registers at Conservative HQ is industrial action.
He concluded, “Please use your vote and take action to defend you and your patients”
