Is It Really Mass Unemployment, Or Just Mass Hysteria?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 18, 2006

I worked in the UK briefly earlier this year. When I left, there were plenty of nursing jobs all over the place, but recently I've been hearing stories of mass redundancies in the midst of the worst nursing shortage ever, budget blowouts, restructuring, etc etc etc... It sounds like the guts have fallen out of the NHS and it's gasping its dying breaths... And taking its nurses to hell with it!
Is nursing unemployment seriously an issue at the moment? That is, are nurses genuinely facing difficulty securing employment? Are we now, for the first time in a long time, fighting it out with all "the others" in the interview room for a lousy staff nurse position? Where will this all lead, both in the short term and long term?
I'm returning for another three month stint in one week, and I'm actually a bit worried about what I might find... Can I have some reassurance? Or do you only have horror stories to tell?

Hi

There are a lot of reduncies going off within the NHS at the moment and even a piece in this weeks nursing times about it. Such a shame that things ar happening and makes me glad that I am out of it now and employed at a gp surgery. Even things are happening with overseas nurses and immigration so will only get worse. In the nursing times we are seeing less and less jobs advertised :angryfire

SCGreywolf · Jul 18, 2006

It may well be that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has finally decided that you really CAN'T have your cake (or crumpet) and eat it too. The taxing level of the man on the street has quite possibly reached it's limit and there's just no more to give. Cuts have to be made in the budget somewhere and, just like in the US, the little peons are the ones that get shafted. Expect to see the same thing happening in Holland and the Norwegians within the next five years. I expect to see the beginnings of 'privatization' before the year is out in regards to the NHS. I do not see the NHS "being there' for the working man much longer. I read some where that the health services actually account for almost 45% of the budget. If so, no country can stand that for long.

I'll stay here and do my own homeopathic thing in the mountains when it gets too bad.

The Wolf

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2006

I think too that the NHS is dying and I'll meet you in the mountains

cariad · Jul 19, 2006

was back in the uk recently and heard on the radio about nurses being laid off as the hospital was so over their budget. but there are some jobs depending on what area that you work or specialise in and where you want to live.

5thflrnurse · Jul 22, 2006

Hi- just wondering what types of nursing are still recruiting and in what area of the uk are there more jobs available?

~5thflrnurse

steve0123 · Jul 22, 2006

Yes - I'm interested in what people might have to say about 5thflrnurse's question. Which groups of the nursing population are enjoying stability, and who is looking at trouble ahead? Does the problem seem to be more prevalent in London, the country, or everywhere in between? Are agency nurses still being utilised (as much)?

RGN1 · Jul 23, 2006

Yes - I'm interested in what people might have to say about 5thflrnurse's question. Which groups of the nursing population are enjoying stability, and who is looking at trouble ahead? Does the problem seem to be more prevalent in London, the country, or everywhere in between? Are agency nurses still being utilised (as much)?

The problem is fairly nation wide. I know of student nurses who have been unable to find work at all, one a paed trained nurse is working as a supervisor in a DIY store! What a waste!!

The NHS hospital I last worked in - which was just outside London - has closed 3 wards & our 2 more local hospitals have shed about 3000 staff - some were even consultant doctors!

It's not good I'm afraid. They have even taking nursing out of the special bracket it was in for immigration purposes.

The thing is it's not as though there are actually enough nurses it just means that those that are left are more under strain & coping with ever decreasing conditions. My NursingTimes is half the size it was because there are less adverts for jobs in it now.

I'm glad I got out & into the private sector before this all happened because it's going to end in some serious tears without a doubt!

RGN1 · Jul 23, 2006

Hi- just wondering what types of nursing are still recruiting and in what area of the uk are there more jobs available?
~5thflrnurse

International nursing :lol2:

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2006

I was a deputy ward manager/ jn sister in the Uk on a neuro rehab unit under 65 only-10 beds. Fanastic job with lots of good quality pt contact and research, really dynamic unit. I took a career break for 3 years, and my job has been advertised for 8 months and nobody has applied to date. So there are jobs out there.

alien-warrior · Jul 24, 2006

My local University covers campus's in 4 cities, this last spring, something like 500 student nurses qualified, there were just 20 jobs on offer in the areas the Uni' covered.

mabel u.k · Jul 29, 2006

I do think it depends where you work and speciality. Yes there are job loses within the NHS in some areas with trusts trying to save money but there are also developments in other areas where cash is available to meet government targets. I did a jobs search within wales this morning at it came up with 70+ jobs this week. http://www.wales.nhs.uk/jobs

I do remember when I qualified in 1990 there was a similar situation but it lasted for about 6 months where all of my group (unlike the training today there were only 10 - 15 in each group) worked agency and bank before jobs became available.

It may mean that you have to travel to get a job but there are some jobs out there.