NHS staff shortages putting patients in danger

The prospect of increasing NHS staff shortages faced in England could put patients in danger and lead to increased cases of medical negligence.

The BMJ recently warned that there could be NHS staff shortages approaching the quarter of a million mark by 2030. The NHS has been warned by a range of leading experts that they need to improve staff recruitment and retention, or face worsening staff shortages.

A paper says that shortages in England could increase from the current figure of 100,000 to a staggering 250,000 in the next 12 years. The inability to attract and retain skilled employees from abroad could make this figure even worse.

NHS staff shortages: a gateway to medical negligence

Increasing NHS staff shortages are a gateway to medical negligence incidents that can be entirely avoidable.

Medical negligence incidents can turn the lives of innocent people completely upside down. Victims can be left with permanent problems and may be unable to work for long periods of time, or may never work again. It’s not fair that people have to suffer, and when they do, they need to make a claim for medical negligence to support their livelihoods.

But it should never get to the point where legal cases rise because of avoidable staff shortages. That’s the most important point here. Patients must be safeguarded.

Can NHS staff shortages be used as a defence?

NHS staff shortages should not be used as a defence for medical negligence. It’s ultimately the government’s responsibility to ensure that adequate resources and infrastructure is available to avoid staff shortages. If it’s a case of increased funding that’s needed, the money needs to be raised.

NHS funding itself has been a hot topic for debate in recent times. Funding still remains short of what it ought to be, according to the experts.

Ultimately, if a patient is harmed as a result of NHS staff shortages, that’s another victim who may be suffering for the rest of their life when they should’ve been looked after. More must be done to protect patients and allow for our hardworking staff to have the resources available to properly care for those who need it.