Jeremy Hunt said he is 'really worried' about the impact a shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives is having on patient and staff safety
"The workforce plan promised in the spring has not yet been published and will be a 'framework' with no numbers, which we are told could potentially follow in yet another report later this year."
He said "really worrying" staffing issues can't be solved overnight but people want to know the government has a plan. "The persistent understaffing of the NHS now poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety both for routine and emergency care. It also costs more as patients present later with more serious illness.
"The result is that many in an exhausted workforce are considering leaving - and if they do pressure will increase still further on their colleagues," the study said, adding that some simple things are not in place, such as access to hot food and drink on shifts and flexible working. Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing's director for England, said the report's findings show "in the starkest of detail the workforce crisis across the whole of health and social care in England".
"Their recommendation that nursing staff should be given a pay rise that takes account of the cost of living crisis should make government rethink the latest pay deal that follows a decade of real terms pay cuts that will force even more to leave the profession."
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