22.08.12
Nursing jobs drop by 5,000 since 2010
There are now 5,000 fewer nurses on the NHS since May 2010, while the number of doctors rose by 3,700, according to the latest figures.
The NHS Information Centre reported that 276,608 nurses or full time equivalents are now working in the NHS, 4,823 fewer than before the Coalition came to power.
Ministers say the overall number of clinical staff in the NHS has risen by 2,400, but unions and Labour assert that the job losses are a direct result of cuts to frontline hospital services.
Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: said: “David Cameron has cut the NHS budget for two years running and we are now seeing the effects of this on the ground in the NHS.
“On his watch, we have seen the NHS lose nurses at a rate of 200 per month as hospital trusts make knee-jerk cuts to the frontline. This explains why hospitals are under intense pressure, with waiting lists rising and patients being forced to wait on trolleys.”
Peter Carter, chief executive and general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “For two years now, our Frontline First campaign has exposed the slash and burn approach taken by some NHS trusts. It simply isn’t right to suggest that you can take these posts away without damaging patient care.
“Our members tell us every day about a health service which could easily buckle under the strain of delivering more care with fewer staff. Cutting staff is a short-sighted and ultimately futile way of attempting to save money, as patients can end up waiting longer and being more seriously ill by the time they are treated.”
But health minister Anne Milton stated: “There are 2,400 more clinical staff working in the NHS than there were two years ago in May 2010, including over 3,700 more doctors, and over 900 extra midwives.
“In contrast, the number of admin staff has fallen by over 17,500, creating savings that will be reinvested into frontline patient care. Funding will increase by £12.5bn over the next three years, protecting the NHS for the future.”
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