Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

StressCoronavirusNHSLatest NewsMental health

Nurses leaving due to pressure and workplace culture

by Ashleigh Webber 18 May 2022
by Ashleigh Webber 18 May 2022 Colin Fisher / Alamy Stock Photo
Colin Fisher / Alamy Stock Photo

The number of nurses and midwives leaving the profession has increased substantially, with many citing poor workplace cultures and too much pressure as factors that influenced their decision.

Although the number of people on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register rose by 26,403 to a record 758,303 in the year to 31 March 2022, some 27,133 left the register. This was an increase of 13%, reversing a downward trend in leavers over recent years.

Nurses and midwives have to be registered with the NMC before they can work in the NHS. Not everybody on the register will currently be working.

When a sample of leavers were asked about their top three reasons for doing so, retirement (42.9%) was the most frequently cited. However, 18.3% put too much pressure on their mental health in their top three, and 13% said the workplace culture was having a negative effect on them.

In response to a question about whether the Covid-19 pandemic had affected their decision to leave, 36.5% of respondents said it had had either ‘some’ or a ‘strong’ influence. Some 11.8% put the pandemic in their top three reasons for leaving.

Culture in the NHS

MPs vote against further NHS workforce planning requirements

Ockenden Review: culture of fear and bullying stopped staff from raising concerns

NHS staff survey: morale, pay satisfaction and wellbeing declining

What is organisational culture?

One respondent said: “It was not the virus itself, it was the working conditions it led to. Regularly caring for 2, 3 ,4 women who should have been 1-2-1 was terrifying and exhausting. Wearing the same mask all day because there were no others,
begging for sterile gowns for crash sections, holding pee in all day because you are so short staffed, the list goes on.”

The NHS staff survey in March found that the organisation’s morale score had fallen to its lowest since 2017, with increases in the proportion of staff thinking about changing jobs, feeling unable to meet all their demands at work, and feeling unwell because of work-related stressors.

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar at the NMC, said: “Our register is at the highest level ever. This is good news considering all the pressures of the last two years. But a closer look at our data reveals some warning signs.

“Those who left shared troubling stories about the pressure they’ve had to bear during the pandemic. A focus on retention as well as attracting new recruits needs to be part of a sustainable workforce plan to meet rising demands for health and care services.”

Sutcliffe said it was concerning that the sector had become more reliant on internationally-trained professionals. Of 48,436 who joined the NMC register for the first time last year, 23,408 (48%) had trained overseas. Sixty-six per cent of these had trained in India or the Philippines.

The NMC register report for 2021-22 says that the number of new joiners who had trained in the UK had risen only marginally from 24,555 in 2020–2021 to 25,028 last year.

In 2020 a Health and Care Visa was launched for overseas health workers who wanted to work for the NHS. The visa lasts for up to five years, but can be extended.

Sutcliffe said: “These professionals make a welcome and vital contribution to our nation’s health and wellbeing. But we can’t take them for granted.

“Two years ago, we felt the pandemic’s impact on global travel; the number of international joiners to our register fell sharply. A future pandemic or other global disruption could see history repeat itself, but with an even bigger impact on the overall growth of the register. We also need to make sure that we are supporting, valuing and rewarding our internationally trained joiners so their careers can thrive in the UK.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“I very much hope our data will help support long-term sustainable workforce planning in health and care services across the UK, for the benefit of our professionals and the public we all serve.”

HR opportunities in Healthcare on Personnel Today


Browse more HR opportunities in healthcare

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Ethnic diversity: report highlights disparities in school leadership
next post
AI adoption: Skills shortages means UK lagging behind Europe

You may also like

RCN warns Darlington NHS trust over single-sex spaces

16 May 2025

NHS Scotland staff accept two-year 8.2% pay deal

16 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Nurses threaten strikes if pay demands not met

12 May 2025

Jobs on the line across NHS trusts in...

9 May 2025

NHS worker awarded £29k after Darth Vader comparison

8 May 2025

Resident doctors to ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

NHS Lothian review finds ‘toxic’ work environment

2 May 2025

Public sector staff could be in line for...

28 Apr 2025

Call for better mental health support for NHS...

17 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today