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HomeNewsBudget Cuts May Cause NHS To Lose Seventy Thousand Nurses

Budget Cuts May Cause NHS To Lose Seventy Thousand Nurses

A sensitive government report leaked to the media suggests that the NHS (NHS) for short may experience a shortfall of seventy thousand nurses over the next few years due to budget cuts putting more pressure on the health care system.

NHS Staff Short Fall Likely to Increase

According to the report, the health care system is facing an 11% shortfall of nurses compared to the required number. This number will grow to 16% by 2023-24 if appropriate action is not taken. 

This will significantly increase the demand for nurses, and if left unchecked or solution less could cause the system to melt down completely. Numerous nursing homes maternity services and chemotherapy units had to be shut down due to the shortage.

What Caused this Short Fall?

The interdiction of certain plans like George Osborne’s which called to stop paying nursing students’ tuition fees and maintenance grants is one such reason for NHS staff shortfall. As a result of these policies, student applications for nurses have gone down significantly. Since 2016 there’s been a 31 % overall drop while a 50% drop in learning disability nursing, a 39% drop in mature student and a 40% decrease in male candidates.

Regardless of being warned of the potential adverse effect these policies or plans ill have of the NHS system, Osborne still implemented them. On the other hand, in Areas like Scotland and Ireland, the number of nursing students has increased.

Bring Back the Old System

Donna Kinnair, chief executive the royal college of nursing while commenting on the matter said that budget cuts would not improve the situation. The bursaries system needs to be reinstated if the current shortfall is to be combatted.  Saving billion pounds at the expense of our wellbeing is wrong.

She further said every nurse wants to provide the best care possible, and a failure to do so is devastating. Despite this shortage, the nurses are doing a great job trying to make things work. The report further said that more doctors need to be trained, the new 1500 limit is not enough 1000 to 1500 more doctors need to be trained to meet the fluctuating demand.

The interim NHS plan, for now, has been delayed due to tensions between authors and the treasury. The leading cause of delay is the government demand to review pension tax rules resulting in the reduced working hours for doctors or causing them to retire early

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