British Heart Foundation
British Heart Foundation
07/25/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/25/2022 08:45
BHF responds to report on NHS workforce crisis
The NHS is facing the greatest workforce crisis in its history, the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee report has warned today.
The report states that the Government's continued lack of proper workforce planning risks their outlined commitments in tackling the backlog of care.
Evidence has showed that in August 2021, the NHS lost two million full-time equivalent days to sickness, including more than 560,000 days to anxiety, stress, depression, or another psychiatric illness.
The inquiry also heard that there could be as many as 50,000 vacancies for NHS nurses, and 12,000 vacancies for doctors.
The crisis is affecting almost "every healthcare profession," including cardiology.
The Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) national cardiology report estimates that the NHS is short almost 100 consultant cardiologist posts, needs 760 new cardiac physiologists to meet demand over the next decade, and has greatly underestimated the number of heart failure specialist nurses that are required to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan.
According to latest figures, the amount of people waiting for cardiac care is currently over 325,000, over 6,000 more than the previous month, and the 23rd consecutive month where an increase has been seen.
We are backing the report's recommendation for urgent action on workforce planning, including publishing a workforce plan that details how many heart doctors, nurses, and other cardiac specialists are needed.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: "The pandemic has compounded a workforce crisis that started long before Covid-19. The result is too few heart doctors, nurses and other cardiac specialists for the 6.4 million people across England living with heart and circulatory diseases.
"Without the right number of healthcare staff to deliver time-critical heart treatment, many people with heart conditions are facing agonising waits for care, knowing that the longer they wait, the higher their risk of a preventable heart attack, disabling heart failure, or even premature death.
"That's why we urgently need to see a fully funded workforce plan that ensures there are enough heart doctors, heart nurses, and cardiac physiologists."
Committee chair, Jeremy Hunt MP said: "Persistent understaffing in the NHS poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety.
"We now face the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in social care with still no idea of the number of additional doctors, nurses, and other professionals we actually need.
"NHS professionals know there is no silver bullet to solve this problem, but we should at least be giving them comfort that a plan is in place. This must be a top priority for the new prime minister."