NHS Staff Quit For Private Sector As Cost Of Living Bites

The cost of living crisis is forcing healthcare workers to walk away from the NHS in pursuit of better-paid jobs, trust leaders have warned.

- Samuel Lovett

As energy, food and transport costs rise, staff are skipping meals to feed their children or taking on second jobs, with some also struggling to make the journey to work, according to a new survey of NHS trusts in England.

Health workers are turning to the hospitality or retail sectors, placing further strain on an already overburdened NHS, leaders say. Two-thirds of surveyed trusts “report a significant or severe impact from staff leaving”, with services struggling to respond to rising operational pressures.

Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, which conducted the survey, said: “Increasing numbers of nurses and other staff, particularly in the lower pay bands, are finding they are unable to afford to work in the NHS.

“The squeeze on pay and the rising cost of living means they are having to make some very tough decisions. The sad fact is some can earn more working for online retailers or in supermarkets. Others are taking second jobs. We have heard of staff stopping their pension contributions and not being able to fill up their cars to get to work.”