huge numbers of vacancies across the nhs in the uk come about 50,000 nursing vacancies alone but we did not hear about the infrastructure to support that backlog, so i was not heartened by that by any means. but the government is promising to put extra cash into the health service with the rise in national insurance. and will receive that money we will see that money but until it comes we don t know how it s going to be utilised. but what it must go into is funding a workforce that is designed to meet the population needs, we don t have that but we don t even know how many nurses and doctors that we do need in the years ahead, we ve been calling for quite some time for the health secretary to be accountable for the workforce and also to undertake a review of what that workforce requirements are in light of health inequality,
only are there lots of vacancies but actually the workforce that is really busy right now today is going to be under even more pressure than it already has been. in winter we always know is difficult and the pandemic is not over yet. find always know is difficult and the pandemic is not over yet. and when ou talk pandemic is not over yet. and when you talk about pandemic is not over yet. and when you talk about burn-out you talk about burn out understandable for nurses having beenin understandable for nurses having been in covid words and dealing with so many patients over that period of time, but also is part of that understaffing, that they are working relentlessly and around the clock. absolutely and as i said there s about 50,000 nursing vacancies across the united kingdom and just under 40,000 are across the united kingdom and just under40,000 are in across the united kingdom and just under 40,000 are in england alone. that s where we were at and that s where we are at. all o
and social care, as i say, are under immense pressure now and that will get much worse if covid rights and hospitalisations as a result of that get much better and continue to rise. so the government has to be prepared to do what it needs to do to protect health and care services and in doing that protect the public of the uk. ., , , and in doing that protect the public of the uk. ., ., , , of the uk. how many nursing vacancies of the uk. how many nursing vacancies are of the uk. how many nursing vacancies are there of the uk. how many nursing vacancies are there at - of the uk. how many nursing vacancies are there at the - of the uk. how many nursing - vacancies are there at the moment across the country? it is vacancies are there at the moment across the country? across the country? it is very difficult to across the country? it is very difficult to judge. across the country? it is very difficult to judge. there - across the country? it is very difficult to judge. there ar
and bloody. i don t know what burnout meant as a nurse until i hit covid. reporter: melissa davis has worked in the icu for 17 years. it s never been this bad. i ve seen a turnover in nurses i never would have thought turned over because they can t take it no more. reporter: do you feel you re close to a breaking point? i think we already broke. reporter: burnout, stress, grueling hours. there are multiple reasons career nurses are choosing to leave. we ve been seeing it probably hit a peak recently. we have over 120 nursing vacancies open now. reporter: when they do, that experience is also lost. it takes years of training to get to the point where you can take care of a covid patient. this is nothing like we ve seen before. reporter: the head of the hospital system is urging the state to use some of i $1.8 billion in covid relief
if things had stayed on the level of pay they had in 2010. pay they had in 2010. this is a oint pay they had in 2010. this is a point you are pay they had in 2010. this is a point you are keen pay they had in 2010. this is a point you are keen to - pay they had in 2010. this is a i point you are keen to emphasise, this is not only about the work during the pandemic, this is going back quite some number of years. you feel that nurses pay has fallen and other nhs pay has fallen behind where it should have been? definitely. and one of the critical factors in this is about patient safety and quality of patient care. we are seeing tens of thousands of nursing vacancies across the nhs. we have been saying that for some years to ministers. highlighting the fact that the policy decisions they made including on pay has meant that many nurses, experienced nurses have left the profession because they can t afford to stay on. but also the decisions that they ve made have made nursing a less