NHS pay rise welcome, but government needs to do more to attract and retain staff

NHS pay rise welcome, but government needs to do more to attract and retain staff

Following Rachel Reeves’s announcement that Labour accepts “in full” pay rises recommended by independent pay review bodies for NHS staff, as well as a 22.3% pay increase for junior doctors, new figures show that growth in the NHS workforce has plateaued. There’s a growing need to recruit and retain staff in the NHS, but increasing pay alone will not be enough, says RSM UK.

Latest NHS workforce statistics show the number of NHS Hospital & Community Health Service Staff (HCHS) was 1,345,015 in April 2024 (full-time equivalent), up 5% on April 2023, but flat on the previous month.

Clive Makombera, partner and head of NHS at the leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK, comments: “Whilst the NHS workforce is growing, there’s still a long way to go to keep pace with increasing demand and attrition levels within the sector. Growth rates vary across the workforce, with some staff groups such as learning disability and community nursing seeing a decline in numbers. Urgent action is required to ensure that the NHS has enough staff in place to deliver high-quality care and to develop the service for the future. Pay is only one piece of the puzzle; solving labour shortages will require consistent and concerted action at both a local and national level to address other issues, such as culture, training, and staff wellbeing.

“In line with the workforce plan, investment should be put into training and retaining staff to improve productivity, better meet the changing needs of patients and ultimately reform the NHS. Education and training must be increased to record levels, as well as offering more apprenticeships and alternative routes into NHS roles. A greater focus is needed on the retention of staff within the health service by better supporting people throughout their careers, boosting flexible working to suit employees and patients, as well as continuing to improve leadership across NHS organisations.”

Mohi Khan, business transformation partner at RSM UK, added: “There’s a real opportunity for digitalisation to modernise the NHS and ease workforce challenges, but it’s not a quick fix. The implementation of new systems takes time and it is essential staff are empowered to use these new technologies which will free up clinicians’ time, reduce administrative burdens, increase flexibility in deployment, and provide the care patients need more effectively and efficiently.”