The Staffing Crisis in the NHS

I was unlucky to have to pay a visit to A&E sent there by my doctor, on Wednesday, and was able to see for myself the shortage of staff.

The nurse who was triaging, also multitasked, running around doing things like helping with difficult patients, running in to take bloods when needed, directing patients to x-ray etc, and unblocked the ladies loo!
But she found time to ask how I was feeling after treatment and wishing me well.

It isn’t a small hospital.

They can’t continue like this.

Hope you are ok Whitewavemark2 ?

Where are those 40 new hospitals, the 45,000 new doctors and 20,000 new nurses when you want them. Oh and the bus promising 350 million pounds.... on and on go the promises which never materialise. Lies all lies.
Sad that our NHS is being deliberately run down, those who leave are not replaced and those still working are left to cover fir their missing colleagues. My dd has worked fir the NHS for nearly 25 years and is in despair.
Hope you are ok Whitewave

The hospital for my local area is one of the six which already had earmarked funds and plans to be rebuilt, when the announcement was made. Parts of the building are, quite literally, unsafe. I read recently that building is unlikely to start before 2028, so goodness knows when the other 34 figments of Tory imagination will be built.

The programme was pretty much apolitical and was looking at the facts surrounding the staffing crisis.

One point made was that investment for, I think I am quoting accurately, the whole of the last 12 years has been on what they need today with little interest, planning or action to build for the future.

It on BBC Sounds now and can be found here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001bbxm

Epic fail of workforce planning

Capping of university places available to train for the professions is a major issue.

Yes places have been restricted fir some time on medical and dental training and every time there is a problem they say oh, it takes 7 years or so to train, but the restrictions remain. Can only wonder if it’s a another way of running the system down.

It’s the same for radiography and radiotherapy I know, and probably for OT, speech therapy and physiotherapy too. And of course for nursing.

I'm sure we are all aware of the problems that are happening because there is now where to go that has help for many who are then left in the hospital. They talk on the programme about the interweaving of issues making everything worse and it is so much more than just the derogatorily called "bed blocking".

Casdon

Capping of university places available to train for the professions is a major issue.

They were saying that many of the countries where we used to attract staff from are also cutting back on their numbers. Looking six, eight or 10 years forward I despair.

In my daughter’s NHS section one girl left to join the train workers and she is going to be trained to be a train driver, while another has joined the police force and has been promised fast tracking.
Being short staffed, the stress that causes and pay are her priorities.

They were talking about that too, mokryna. It's worth a listen. The programme did check how the hospital leaders were dealing with the staff that are left. A couple of hospitals were putting good practices in place. However, with such a shortage, I can only think that the good hospitals will be able to recruit, but only from ones struggling even more than they are.

I worked for the NHS for almost twenty years. I left in 2003. "It was ever thus". Underpaid, overworked staff doing their very best to provide the best care possible. Unpaid overtime was the norm for senior staff, who also had to supervise junior staff and students.
Very hard work but I loved it.

I worked for nhs for over 40yrs was a qualified nurse ,loved it for a lot of years ,but was glad to leave, the pressures on people was horrific at times .

Kinsi10

I worked for the NHS for almost twenty years. I left in 2003. "It was ever thus". Underpaid, overworked staff doing their very best to provide the best care possible. Unpaid overtime was the norm for senior staff, who also had to supervise junior staff and students.
Very hard work but I loved it.

You left nearly 20 years ago Kinsil0. It doesn't sound as if people can love it now.

I read Kinsil as saying nothing much has changed. Staff still Over worked and underpaid.
I know my dd went 10 years without a raise until recently. That timeframe fits with the 12 years of the current Tory government.

Agree DaisyAnne, things have changed greatly and not for the best. Too many changes by people who have never worked directly with patients and their families.

It's such a shame Kinsi10. It was always hard (even in Miss Nightingales Day) but now people are saying they go home and don't feel as if they have done a good job. That must drag you down in time.

I think those trying to manage are also trying to do their best. You can't if the government - the overall employers - is not behind you, imo. It is so sad.

On the programme, one person said "nurses have always been very tolerant of low-pay", silverlining. I think this has been true but with shortages of staff everywhere and other opportunities why should they continue to be if the job gives them no satisfaction?

Why indeed Daisy. I don’t blame any fir leaving but wish they didn’t feel they have to.
My dd hangs on but it’s hard.

My DD, a nurse, has been asked if she is willing to strike. Where years ago nurses would not strike now they are saying they will. What an awful situation.

DaisyAnne I had already listened to it before posting.

My daughter is an NHS nurse and is considering leaving the profession. For her it's not so much about the money but poor management and ever changing unrealistic government targets.

Casdon

Capping of university places available to train for the professions is a major issue.

It’s not that easy to expand places. You need to provide clinical placements and supervisors for all students and these are not available. Medical students don’t spend all their time in lecture halls, they work on the wards and in clinics, in my DD’s case, from six weeks after starting in first year.

People would soon start complaining if they were treated by doctors who’d never had any hands-on experience.