NHS trusts across the country have said that the rising cost of living is causing staff to look for jobs elsewhere. There are currently 733 vacancies within 10 miles of Bristol listed on the NHS jobs website.
In North Bristol NHS Trust there are a total of 130 vacancies being advertised, with more than half of them (67) in nursing and midwifery. University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust has 71 staff vacancies in nursing and midwifery alone and a total of 183 vacancies.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) sent out 300,000 ballots to members today (Thursday, October 6) asking them to vote on whether or not to strike over pay. RCN General Secretary, Pat Cullen said that "patient care is at risk because of chronic staff shortages".
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The NHS Providers survey into rising living costs and the impact on the NHS, staff and patients found that vacancies across NHS Trusts were ‘at an all time high’ with 132,139 vacancies across the sector in September 2022. They found that three quarters of trust leaders (75 per cent) were ‘extremely concerned that existing workforce challenges will be exacerbated by the recent NHS pay awards not matching inflation'.
The South West Combined Acute and Community Trust was quoted in the recent survey as saying: “Inflation is having a demonstrable downward effect on the number of applications for nursing degrees. This will aggravate an already critical staffing position.”
Almost 70 per cent of the 160 NHS trusts that responded reported a significant or severe impact from staff leaving for other sectors such as ‘hospitality or retail, where employers can offer competitive terms’. It noted that the high staff turnover is costly and disruptive for trusts.
And 95 per cent of trust leaders said they were extremely concerned about the mental and financial wellbeing of staff across the NHS. While the cost of living crisis has hit the lowest paid the hardest, there is concern across all roles with inflation causing a pay cut in real terms for those on higher salaries and others with caring responsibilities who face higher costs outside of work.
Almost 80 per cent of trust leaders are concerned about the impact the cost of living and the pandemic has had on the mental wellbeing of staff. The majority of trust leaders have seen a rise in mental health related absence.
The nursing and midwifery council’s annual report released earlier this year shows that over 27,000 nurses and midwives have left the profession in the last year alone. The reasons for leaving included a poor workplace culture, the pandemic, concerns over their own health and increased workloads.
More than 300,000 members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will receive ballot papers in the post from today, launching the RCN’s biggest strike ballot in its 106-year history. RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: “We are understaffed, undervalued and underpaid.
“For years our profession has been pushed to the edge, and now patient safety is paying the price. We can’t stand by and watch our colleagues and patients suffer anymore.
“The ballot relates to NHS pay. A below inflation NHS pay award has been announced in England and Wales, and a below inflation NHS pay offer has been made in Scotland.
“Across the board, it’s unacceptable. We’re campaigning for a pay rise of five per cent above inflation to overcome a decade of real-terms pay cuts, support nursing staff through the cost-of-living crisis and recognise their safety critical skills.
“Only by paying nursing staff fairly will we be able to retain existing and recruit new nursing staff to the safety critical roles they do. Patient care is at risk because of chronic staff shortages, but nursing staff can’t afford to join or stay in the profession.
“There are tens of thousands of unfilled nursing jobs across the UK. Unless governments start to value and pay nursing staff properly, there will be a further exodus, adding more pressure to an overstretched system.”
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