A leading medical Royal College is calling on the government to prioritise staff retention in its upcoming NHS workforce plan, as it reveals almost half of surgeons surveyed plan on leaving the NHS over the next five years.

 

The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSEd) which represents over 15,000 members across Scotland and the UK says it is “crucial” that the government’s plan leads to action to improve workforce retention.

This comes just weeks after the first ever nursing and midwifery spotlight report highlighted burnout and racism, prompting the Royal College of Nursing Scotland to call for better support for staff.

The College says it survey reveals that 75% of respondents have considered moving overseas for work – and 50% claim it is ‘very or somewhat likely’ that they will in the future.

The College says 45% of the surgeons responding to their survey between March and April this year said they are planning on leaving the workforce in the next five years.

Within this group, 43% claimed that this was because they are ‘unhappy with the direction of the NHS’.

Professor Rowan Parks, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, says this reflects the difficulties healthcare workers face with chronic understaffing in the NHS:

“These results are deeply concerning, but unfortunately, they do not come as a surprise.

“We have been calling for greater clarity and detail around workforce planning for several years, but the government is yet to set out the ways in which it plans on retaining healthcare workers in the face of the chronic staff shortages we’re continuing to see.”

Alongside the potential additional loss from people moving abroad for work, the survey also revealed that there is a risk of losing NHS staff to other professions.

Almost a quarter of respondents had considered a career outside of healthcare – with 56% of those citing a better work-life balance as a driving force for this.

The College is urging the government to prioritise staff retention as it warms of a “potentially devastating” loss of workers given these recent responses.

Professor Parks explained that with ongoing surgical backlogs it is “more important than ever” to retain a robust surgical workforce in Scotland and across the NHS, adding that these survey findings are worrying:

“It takes a very long time to train a surgeon, so if a large number of the workforce leaves in the next five years, we will be facing a potentially devastating skills gap, which will in turn have a negative impact on patient waiting times and outcomes.

“It is crucial that the government’s forthcoming workforce plan takes serious action for workforce retention.

“These survey results reinforce what our members have been telling us for a long time and highlight just how urgently workforce retention needs to be prioritised in the NHS. 

“As a College, we will continue to work with our members to discuss the challenges they’re facing and we stand ready to work with government and healthcare leaders to provide advice on what can be done to improve the situation.”

Meanwhile, BMA Scotland’s GP Chair, Dr Andrew Buist this week revealed GPs are more likely to leave the profession this year following their wellbeing survey. Dr Buist warned that a shortage of GPs will create under-doctored areas and lead to greater health inequalities.

Now, the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh says a “real focus on wellbeing” for all NHS staff is needed among other changes.

Professor Parks says that while addressing the NHS workforce crisis requires widespread change, there are some simple steps that could help improve retention:

“The problems within the NHS workforce are complex and multifactorial, and there is no quick fix, but I strongly believe there are some simple steps healthcare leaders could take to improve retention.

“Offering more flexible working to surgeons who are at the later stages of their career, for example, could entice these senior members of the surgical workforce to stay in the profession for longer rather than opting for early retirement. The government’s recent changes to pension regulations may help with holding on to late career surgeons, but the impact remains to be seen.

“A real focus on wellbeing for all NHS staff could also make a huge difference. Simple additions to the workplace like staff rooms, canteens, and availability of hot food would go some way to making healthcare workers feel more valued and could therefore improve retention. 

“It’s no surprise that the lack of these basic measures is making NHS staff feel undervalued and leading them to look overseas, or even to other professions, for work.”

Read more: RCN calls for urgent investment in nursing; Mr Yousaf: “Scotland is a great place to work”; A pharmacist on the frontline; Junior doctor strikes on pause; Nursing report spotlights burnout and discrimination

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