NHS Wales staff could ‘leave in their droves’ without urgent recruitment plan

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Staff in the Welsh NHS could “leave in their droves” unless an urgent recruitment and retention strategy is created by the Welsh Government.

BMA Cymru Wales, as part of a new report, said the medical workforce needs to be expanded and existing staff retrained if it is to deal with the huge waiting list backlog caused by the pandemic.

A survey by the union found that more than half of doctors who responded are planning to retire early, and over a quarter are planning to reduce their hours within the next 12 months.

A number of actions have been outlined by the BMA which “begin to address the threat” of doctors leaving the profession or reducing their hours which include:

Making it easier for staff to join the workforce or return to clinical practice including retired doctors, refugee doctors and international medical graduates; Assuring doctors that they will not be penalised with large tax bills if they take on additional work to support the backlog or return to work after retirement; The opportunity for doctors to rest and recuperate from the exhaustion of working through the pandemic.

As well as calling for measures to expand the workforce and retain existing staff, the report sets out further recommendations to all governments across the UK to ensure that services resume safely for both staff and patients:

These include:

All governments and system leaders across the UK to have an honest conversation with the public about the need for a realistic approach to restoring non-Covid care, and support for systems to tackle the backlog. Health, safety, and mental wellbeing of the workforce to remain a top priority. Additional resourcing to help tackle the backlog. Measures to expand system capacity.

Dr David Bailey, chairman of the British Medical Associaiton’s (BMA) Welsh Council
(Image: BMA Cymru)

Dr David Bailey, BMA Cymru Wales council chairman, said: “It’s clear that the backlog has to be reduced, and our survey figures present a stark warning which cannot be ignored. Urgent action must be taken to address the fact that half of doctors responding to our latest survey are planning to retire early and over a quarter are planning to reduce their hours.

“Without an increase in capacity and a clearer focus on retention, the waiting list will continue to grow and the NHS won’t be able to return to pre-Covid levels – we will see doctors leaving in droves.

“The scale of this challenge must not be underestimated. Despite everything that the last year has thrown at them, doctors remain committed to caring for patients, but they must receive support in order to be able to provide safe care.”

In response a Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “The commitment and tireless hard work from NHS staff in Wales has been truly remarkable and we fully recognise the pressures they are experiencing.

“Workforce supply and recruitment is, and will continue to be, a priority for the Welsh Government. This year, we are investing record levels in training and professional education – £227m – and there are more training places available than ever before. Our international campaign Train Work Live has helped to attract more healthcare staff to Wales.”

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