social care by the early 2030s . In the meantime , it notes , hospital waiting lists reached a record high of almost 6.5 million in April .
The number of full-time equivalent GPs fell by more than 700 over three years to March 2022 , despite a government pledge to deliver 6,000 more . The report describes a situation where NHS pension arrangements force senior doctors to reduce working hours as a “ national scandal ” and calls for swift action in response .
Maternity services are highlighted as being under serious pressure , with more than 500 midwives leaving in a single year . This is despite the fact that a year ago the committee ’ s maternity safety inquiry concluded almost 2,000 more midwives were needed and almost 500 more obstetricians . The committee also noted that “ pay is a crucial factor in recruitment and retention in social care . Government analysis estimated more than 17,000 jobs in care paid below the minimum wage ”.
The MPs also says that the government has shown a marked reluctance to act decisively , while a refusal to do proper workforce planning has risked plans to tackle the Covid backlog .
For unions , the report backs up their repeated calls for action , as well as their direst predictions .
“ The staffing crisis in the NHS and social care grows worse by the day as employees leave for fairer wages on the high street and elsewhere ,” UNISON public services union general secretary Christina McAnea stated .
“ Only last week ministers could have acted to stop the exodus of porters , healthcare assistants and other NHS staff with an above-inflation wage rise . But chose not to .”
RCN nurses ’ union director for England , Patricia Marquis , commented : “ That persistent understaffing in all care settings poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety should shock ministers into action . On pay the committee was very clear saying it is unacceptable that some NHS nurses are struggling to feed their families , pay their rent , and travel to work .
“ Their recommendation that nursing staff should be given a pay rise that takes account of the cost of living crisis should make government rethink the latest pay deal that follows a decade of real terms pay cuts that will force even more to leave the profession .”
For Suzanne Tyler , executive director , trade union at the Royal College of Midwives , the report “ shows an alarming and deeply worrying picture of a government failing maternity services , failing their staff , and failing women , babies , and their families . We have an NHS spiralling ever deeper into crisis yet see only a lacklustre response to it from those in power .” She described staff morale as “ shattered ”.
Doctors ’ union the BMA called the report “ a damning indictment of a government that has completely failed to take any meaningful action on workforce issues , and has no plan going forward ”.
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists welcomed the report as “ yet further evidence of a full-blown workforce crisis across social care and the NHS ”, and called for immediate action in response .
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy agreed , and noted that “ The derisory recent pay award for NHS staff in England is doing nothing to address the crisis we have in workforce recruitment and retention ”.
UK ‘ will have slowest growth in G7 ’
The UK is likely to experience the slowest growth of the G7 richest economies next year , according to the International Monetary Fund ’ s latest World Economic Outlook forecast .
The IMF expects UK economic growth will fall to 0.5 % in 2023 , less than half the 1.2 % it predicted in April – which itself was virtually half its previous forecast ( see Fact Service issue 16 ).
According to the body , several shocks have hit a
2 FACT SERVICE • Volume 84 , Issue 30 , 28 July 2022