A new report by the Royal College of Nursing has revealed that dire shortages in the nursing workforce were compromising patient care even before the coronavirus pandemic.

Sharing data not previously released by the RCN, the report shows how longstanding issues with the recruitment and retention of nursing staff have become worse over the past two years.

In January 2020, 73 per cent of nursing staff surveyed by the RCN said staffing levels on their last shift weren’t sufficient to meet the needs of patients safely and effectively. More than half (57 per cent) felt patient care was compromised.

The report sets out the nursing workforce picture in the UK, identifying concerning factors affecting the future supply of staff and the impact this will have on patient safety. It says that one in five nursing registrants are 56 years of age or over and due to retire in the next few years, perhaps earlier given the intolerable pressures they’re facing.

Pat Cullen, RCN chief executive, said: “The past two years have revealed the extent of how ill-prepared the UK was for the additional pressures on the health and care system during the pandemic. This mounting pressure continues to present grave risks to patients. However, the risks to nursing staff - and to recruitment and retention as these pressures continue - must not be underestimated.”  

Additionally, the report shows that the swelling in numbers of registered nurses in the UK during the pandemic is starting to drop. Before last year the number leaving the Nursing and Midwifery Council register was decreasing year-on-year. But the data shows a change in direction in 2021, with 11.3 per cent more people leaving the register than in 2020.