Thousand fewer nurses working in region’s NHS

Overall 20,000 fewer full-time equivalent staff were working in the NHS in England in September than two years previously including 4,700 fewer in Yorkshire.

The annual NHS jobs census shows a fall of 3,200 staff in the 12 months to September although numbers employed were 200,000 higher than in 2002 – up 17 per cent.

Numbers of nurses, clinical support staff and managers have fallen since 2010 but all other groups including doctors have risen. There are now 2,881 managers in the region, down 12 per cent, but nearly 100 more doctors over the two-year period totalling 13,600.

Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers, said: “The NHS is under enormous financial pressure so it’s hardly surprising that we have seen a reduction in workforce numbers.

“The nursing workforce has reduced but there has been an increase in qualified staff including doctors and other health professionals by a similar amount – including physiotherapists and occupational therapists providing direct, hands-on patient care.”