Record jump for nurse and midwife numbers

The government has announced that applicants to nursing courses in England are up 16 per cent as the NHS employs a record number of nurses and midwives.

The Nursing and Midwifery’s Council has reported its largest ever annual increase of registered nursing and midwifery professionals, with approximately 18,370 more nurses, midwives and nursing associates now on the permanent register to work in the UK compared to a year ago, bringing the total number to 716,607 by 31 March 2020.

The register also shows that the number of people trained in the UK leaving the register has also fallen to a five-year low, whilst the number of nursing and midwifery applicants to English universities has also risen for the second year running. The government has pledged to deliver 50,000 more nurses by the end of Parliament.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I’m delighted to see record numbers of nurses and midwives now working in our NHS as we work towards delivering 50,000 more nurses in this parliament. As we continue our battle with this deadly disease, our world leading healthcare system has never been more important. We will continue to give it the support it needs today, as well as protecting it for generations to come. Nurses have saved countless lives during the pandemic, and the NHS simply couldn’t function without them.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock added: “This pandemic demonstrated just how talented and valued our brilliant nurses and midwives are, and it is fantastic to see an explosion of applications for nursing and midwifery courses. As well as a hugely rewarding career in one of the world’s best healthcare systems, degree students will benefit from at least £5,000 a year from the government in free additional support during their studies. With over 12,000 more fully qualified nurses working in our NHS compared to last year, we are well on our way to delivering 50,000 more by the end of this Parliament.”

Whilst welcoming of the figures, the Royal College of Nursing has called for the government to take a long-term view to support the nursing workforce and a long-term strategy to fix the continuing nursing shortage. This is likely to be an increasing issue post-coronavirus.

Donna Kinnair, RCN chief executive, said: “We celebrate the diversity of our global profession and numbers are slowly moving in the right direction. But the UK government needs to do everything within its gift to help our existing workforce and ensure that nursing is attractive, well-paid and meaningfully supported. This is how to equip NHS and care services to help keep patients safe.

“The NMC’s data shows that too often people quit nursing because of the level of pressure, making shortages even more acute. It’s tough going to work every day when there aren’t enough of you and there is seemingly little light at the end of the tunnel. Breaking this cycle through investment in domestic supply and action is about both patient safety and the health of our workers.

“Ministers should pay close attention to fixing our existing gaps but also what is right around the corner. Many of our professionals are in the later stages of their career – a third on the register are over 50. These are extremely experienced nurses, who also support new nurses as they choose to join us. There is every reason to aim for oversupply to boost our profession and keep patients safe.”