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In England, more than 4,000 patients die every year because poverty wages and increasing workloads are forcing workers out of the NHS.

Striking nurses demand higher wages and patient safety in 2023 (Photo: Guy Smallman)

Thousands of patients die every year due to high turnover of nurses and doctors in the NHS, a new report warns.

It is estimated that more than 4,000 patients in England die each year from loss of staff…and this could be a “conservative number”.

The study analyzed data from 236,000 nurses, 41,800 senior doctors and 8.1 million patients admitted to 148 acute care NHS hospitals in England. Dr Giuseppe Moscelli, lead researcher of the study published in the British Medical Journal, said: “The NHS is operating at capacity, which means we don’t have overcapacity like other systems.

“This means we tend to suffer from a shortage of clinical staff rather than an abundance of staff.

“The loss of qualified people diminishes continuity of care and operational memory within an NHS trust. These nurses and doctors have been trained in how things work and so breaking down teamwork with their colleagues is detrimental to patient care.

He added: “Our findings highlight the critical role that stable staffing plays in ensuring patient safety. »

Health workers know their patients deserve better and want Labor to invest in the NHS.

Jordan Rivera is secretary of the Unison union branch at Homerton Hospital in east London. “I am not surprised to learn of the high staff turnover in the NHS and the negative impact on patient care,” she told Socialist Worker.

“Underinvestment in the NHS has caused real problems and a recruitment and retention crisis is one of them.

“People in the NHS are working very hard to cope with an increase in demand. It’s no wonder many choose to leave, given how much we can earn abroad in the same professions.

“Staff shortages are the end result and this is of course going to impact patient care. Our patients deserve better than this. What the NHS needs is proper investment. “

“When costs rise with inflation, the money hospitals receive must increase accordingly. Otherwise, cuts would be made, ultimately impacting patient care.

“The only way to retain staff is through investment. We must be properly paid and adequately staffed.

Patricia Marquis, leader of the MRC Nurses Union, said ministers must “take urgent action to keep highly skilled nurses in the profession”. “Everywhere you look, teams typically don’t have enough registered nurses to keep patients safe,” she said.

“This has become normal and it is unacceptable. Boosting recruitment into the profession is crucial for patient safety, but so is giving experienced staff a reason to stay.

“Relentless pressure, low pay and compromised care are forcing thousands of nurses to resign and patients are paying the price. »

The work budget boosted daily spending on the NHS of £22 billion over two years, which is a small step in the right direction.

But the money will come with strings attached. Darren Jones, Labor’s chief secretary to the Treasury, said “reform starts immediately”. “This is not negotiable,” he stressed during the presentation of the budget.

When Labor talks about “public service reform”, it means making public services operate more like a business.

The NHS needs a big cash injection, but the last thing it needs is “reforms” from Health Secretary Wes Streeting. He has previously said he wants health services to rely more on the private sector.

And Labor has increased its spending from the start, but is not promising much for the future.

Unions must continue to fight for higher pay – and defend the NHS – under the Labor government.