Many North East doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are "looking long and hard at their futures" in the NHS according to senior figures in the health service in our area.
With the impact of Covid-19 continuing to be felt in high sickness rates and serious levels of fatigue across hospitals and community care settings like GP surgeries, a meeting of the Governing Body of the Newcastle Gateshead CCG reiterated the call for vital workforce planning from central Government that has been heard frequently from across the NHS in recent months. The CCG heard reports showing that the impact of Covid-19 meant that a series of targets - for aspects of care including A&E, cancer referral and waiting list times - were still not being met.
Speaking about the worrying picture, Bill Cunliffe - the secondary care clinician on the governing body and a retired surgeon - said he felt the pressure NHS staff were under would see many quit the health service. He added this would make the already difficult challenge of meeting the Government's Elective Recovery Plan (ERP) targets almost impossible.
