NHS Employers responds to new analysis from RCN showing increase in nursing staff leaving

Responding to a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) analysis of Nursing and Midwifery (NMC) data of UK-educated nursing staff leaving the register in England, which shows a significant increase in nursing staff quitting the profession early, Caroline Waterfield, director of development and employment at NHS Employers, said: 

“Over recent years, NHS leaders have prioritised the recruitment of new nurses to the NHS from UK university courses, the nurse degree apprenticeship and from overseas. In parallel, there has been a significant positive impact on retention as a result of employers' efforts to address individual needs, supported by the NHS People Promise retention work led by NHS England. 

“Employers know that retaining our talented professionals in their chosen profession is not a one-off initiative and it’s important to monitor and act on organisation and team level data alongside the rich feedback gathered from local pulse surveys and one-to-one conversations.”