The NHS - Striking Out
In 2023 the NHS celebrates its 75th birthday. Recent strikes by junior doctors and other nursing staff have shown there is a system under huge pressure, perhaps the biggest challenge of the NHS’s existence.
NHS Digital figures state in June 2021 there were 123,727 doctors, 332,341 nursing staff (including midwives and health visitors) and 33,907 managers in the NHS out of a total workforce of 1.2 million (all figures are full-time equivalent). Between 2011 and 2021, the number of doctors and nurses rose while the number of managers is broadly similar (doctors increased by 28 per cent and nurses by 11 per cent between March 2011 to March 2021). NHS vacancy statistics estimate that there are almost 100,000 in the NHS, as of Q2 2021/22 (including more than 8,000 medical professionals and nearly 40,000 nursing staff). This includes vacancies in hospitals and in the community.
The NHS is a vast organisation with complex moving parts. While it is probably true that for some working in the NHS view their employment as a vocation and not a job, they require fair reward to compensate for the often physically demanding working conditions and mental strain of covering the workload of 100,000 vacant roles.
According to the King’s Fund from 2019/20 on an average day in the NHS:
More than 1 million people would attend a GP appointment
More than 250,000 people would attend an outpatient appointment
More than 30,000 people would call 999
Nearly 45,000 people would attend a major A&E department with 20% of those being admitted into hospital.
Around 750 patients would go into critical care
The system is imperfect, yet it should be cherished. Aside from acceding to the wage demands of the striking staff an increase in the NHS training budget will help ensure staff are fully competent and retain their skills. A focus on devolving matters of non-clinical practice to individual hospitals can also help identify efficiencies, as well as working in partnership with private health providers. Ultimately unless the NHS rewards staff in a commensurate manner, the strikes will continue. Frustrated staff will start to migrate to the private sector or leave healthcare entirely, leaving a constant challenge of attracting new staff to reduce the vacancy rate, persuading them to enter this perfect storm.
Should the NHS meet the striking workers demands? Does paying staff more mean the vacancy rate will fall and retention rates will improve?
Time will tell.
