Is the NHS beyond repair?

Another week, another warning that the NHS has reached crisis point. A cross-party group of MPs today published a report detailing the extent to which the health service and social care sector in England is understaffed – and found that it is facing the worst staffing crisis in its history. Research found that NHS England is 12,000 doctors and 50,000 nurses and midwives short at the moment. There are more than 99,000 vacancies in the health service – with 105,000 in the health and social care sector.

The ever-declining number of healthcare staff is a problem that is only going to get worse as demand rises: almost a million more positions will need to be filled by the early 2030s. Equally, the chronic understaffing has undoubtedly played a part in the soaring number of sick days taken by staff: in August last year, the NHS lost the equivalent of two million full days to sickness – with 560,000 to mental health issues such as burnout and anxiety.