[Nursing News]

Thousands of newly qualified nurses are facing unemployment because of hospital cutbacks, with vacancies at their lowest for 10 years.

New National Health Service figures have revealed how difficult it is for nurses, physiotherapists, scientists and doctors to find jobs.

The highest vacancy rate was among consultants, with 1.2 per cent of jobs empty compared with 0.4 in trainee nursing.
There are currently 5,000 newly qualified nurses who cannot find a job and half of the 2,413 newly qualified physiotherapists have not found permanent posts.

More than 20,000 jobs have been cut in recent years as managers struggle to bring NHS finances back into balance.
Vacancy rates across the medical professions have dropped, showing the boom and bust nature of workforce planning in the health service.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, there was such a critical shortage of doctors and nurses that staff were recruited from overseas.

More... New nurses left jobless by budget squeeze (Daily Telegraph)

[x_coastie]

Very interesting article. Although universal health care sounds good on the surface, the more we learn the worse it becomes (especially for health care workers.)
Thanks

[english_nurse]

i feel that the present vacancy shortage has nothing to do with the NHS being well staffed, it is all about finance
at present most wards are dangerously understaffed on a regular basis, or staffed with expensive short term agency staff to fill the gap.
the NHS is failing its patients and workers by allowing this situation to continue, as patient care suffers and staff morale is low.
there is a shortage of jobs for nurses as hospitals are not recruiting as they feel employing staff on contracts is more expensive as they have to pay them holiday/sick pay and other benefits as permanent members of staff, whereas a bank/agency nurse does not get these benefits.
On my ward we have had two full time vacancies for over 18 months which we have not been allowed to recruit for as there has been no money, so the ward has been continually short staffed
maybe an early election will sort out the problem..... who knows....

[oramar]

Originally Posted by english_nurse

i feel that the present vacancy shortage has nothing to do with the NHS being well staffed, it is all about finance
at present most wards are dangerously understaffed on a regular basis, or staffed with expensive short term agency staff to fill the gap.
the NHS is failing its patients and workers by allowing this situation to continue, as patient care suffers and staff morale is low.
there is a shortage of jobs for nurses as hospitals are not recruiting as they feel employing staff on contracts is more expensive as they have to pay them holiday/sick pay and other benefits as permanent members of staff, whereas a bank/agency nurse does not get these benefits.
On my ward we have had two full time vacancies for over 18 months which we have not been allowed to recruit for as there has been no money, so the ward has been continually short staffed
maybe an early election will sort out the problem..... who knows....

Last flu epidemic was 2000-2001. It is now 7 years since a world wide flu outbreak strained the system, we are overdue. Does anyone remember that horrible winter besides me? UK was particularly hard hit by staffing shortages and flu cases. Sounds like they are even less prepared than last time and it was pretty bad last time. I feel like a person waiting for the other shoe to drop. These unfilled positions could cause a political upheavel.