A huge increase in nursing staff quitting the profession early will make government NHS reforms ‘impossible to deliver’, new analysis from the nursing union and profession college shows today [Monday 11 November].
The analysis shows that thousands of UK-educated nurses are walking away within 10 years of first registering, due to burnout and exhaustion brought on by low staffing levels, increasing patient need, and a lack of recognition from government.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is warning ministers that they face a ‘perfect storm’ of more staff leaving and fewer joining the profession, threatening patient care.
By the end of next parliament, more than 11,000 nurses will have quit the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register within the first 10 years of gaining their registration, equivalent to the entire district nurse, health visitor and school nurse workforce in England.
The RCN analysed the latest NMC data of UK-educated nursing staff leaving the register in England. Between 2021 and 2024, the numbers leaving within 10 years of registering increased by 43%, whilst those leaving within five years rose a staggering 67%.
According to the NMC’s leavers survey, nursing staff cite poor physical and mental health, burnout or exhaustion, and changes in personal circumstances as key reasons for leaving nursing outside of retirement. Those leaving are a combination of newly qualified nursing staff quitting the profession and experienced staff who had returned from retirement during the pandemic.
The government is planning to modernise the NHS and shift care into the community, requiring tens of thousands of additional nurses working in local communities outside hospitals. However, by 2036/37 the estimated shortfall in community nurses is expected to be 37,000. The RCN says its analysis shows that without intervention, this figure is likely to rise.
The leaver figures follow recent RCN analysis of Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) data which showed a collapse in every region of England in the number of people studying to become nurses.
Staff quitting early also has a cost to government and employers, including on initial downpayments on student fees, support for clinical placements, recruitment costs into the service, and professional development whilst in role.
The RCN says the government must take two approaches, substantially raising pay to make nursing more attractive, whilst agreeing to waive the graduate loans for nurses who agree to stay working in the NHS and public sector. This would boost recruitment, retention and ease staff shortages.
Across England’s NHS alone, there are over 32k unfilled nursing posts. Since 2010/11, the pay of the average nurse has fallen by 23% in real terms.
RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said:
“Nursing is an incredible career, and it should be one for life, but thousands are quitting early because they are burnt out, underpaid and demoralised. It is a perfect storm for ministers as thousands leave the profession early and student recruitment collapses. It’s also a heartbreaking state of affairs for those who want to spend their lives caring for others.
"Every nurse who walks away takes with them their skill, expertise and passion for care. That’s terrible for patients, but also represents lost investment for government too. Much more needs to be done to attract people into nursing and keep them once they’re there. If no action is taken, the shift from hospital to community will be impossible to deliver.
“The health secretary urged staff to stay and help him reform the NHS. He needs to give them a reason to stay. We urgently need new investment in nursing, including through better pay. Waiving the loans of those who commit to a career nursing in the NHS and public sector is crucial. The government cannot afford to wait.”
Ends
Notes to editors
The RCN’s analysis shows that between 2021 and 2024, the number of UK-educated nursing staff leaving the NMC register in England increased by 43%, from an estimated 1,607 to 2,295, whilst those leaving within five years increased 67%, from an estimated 697 to 1,166. The analysis projects that an additional 11,307 will quit the profession within the first ten years of registering without intervention from the UK Government throughout the next Parliament (2029).
There are currently 11,317 district nurses, health visitors and school nurses employed by the NHS in England.
Last month, the RCN warned that the number of people studying to become nurses has collapsed in every region in England, putting the government’s plan to rescue the NHS at risk.
