The number of nurses and midwives leaving the UK register has increased, while the pace of international recruitment has slowed, new data has revealed.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) mid-year registration data has once again shown a record number of professionals registered in the UK – reaching a high of 841,367.
But as the register grows, so does the number of leavers – with some 14,142 professionals leaving the register between April and September 2024, up 6.3% on the same period last year.
Further still, some 1,799 professionals left the register after five years or less in the six months to September 2024, compared to 1,211 in the same period last year (up 48.6%).
Over 200,000 internationally educated professionals
For the first time, there is over 200,000 international professionals on the NMC register – up 5.3 percentage points since April 2024.
However, the number of internationally educated professionals who joined the NMC register in the six months to September 2024 was down 16.6% (-2,501) compared to the same period last year.
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In addition, 2,573 international professionals left the register in the six months to September 2024 – a significant rise of 33% compared to September 2023.
International recruitment slowing
Kuljit Dhillon, interim executive director of strategy and insight at the NMC, said she hoped there is ‘small comfort’ in the overall growth of the register, but added there were ‘notes of caution’ around the international recruitment data.
‘We’ve seen a fall in internationally educated joiners and an even higher proportional rise in leavers, although it’s important to view leavers’ data through the lens of a growing register,’ she said.
‘We hope our data and insights will support workforce planning and research in the UK, ensuring the most effective delivery of services that people and communities rely on for their health and wellbeing.’
The NMC data also showed a decline in those recruited from ‘red list’ countries, with a 16.1% fall in joiners from Nigeria, and a 3.5% fall in joiners from Ghana compared to the same period last year.
Recruitment of Nepal-educated professionals has more than doubled in the last six months, compared to the same period in September 2023.
Professionals from India now account for 8% of the total available UK nursing and midwifery workforce, and there are now more than 50,000 professionals on the register who were educated in the Philippines.
A record 841,367 professionals
The NMC register now has a record 841,367 nursing and midwifery professionals.
This is made up of 778,340 nurses (up 1.7% since April 2024); 45,198 midwives (up 2.4%);11,551 nursing associates (up 6.2%); and 6,278 dual registrants (down 1.3%).
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The number of new joiners, including UK and those from overseas, decreased by 9.2% compared to last year – with 30,085 new joiners in September 2023, compared to 27,313 in September 2024.
‘Bad news for patients’
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary and chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, described the data as ‘bad news for patients’.
‘Nurse recruitment is slowing, the numbers of new starters is falling and we are witnessing a devastating increase in people leaving within five years of joining,’ she said.
‘At a time of widespread vacancies, these trends are incredibly worrying for our NHS and the people that rely on its care.’
She added: ‘As demand for care soars, ministers across the UK need to recognise this as a perfect storm for patient safety and take action to improve recruitment and retention.
‘Working for low pay, in understaffed, under-resourced services takes its toll with burnout pushing highly trained nursing staff out the door.’
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In October, the RCN revealed that the number of people studying to become a nurse had fallen in every region in England.
The union warned that the decline was putting the government’s 10 Year Health Plan at risk, with the number of people accepted onto nursing courses having fallen by up to 40% in parts of England between 2020 and 2023.
England’s chief nursing officer (CNO) Duncan Burton appealed to primary and community care nurses to help inform the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, by sharing examples of good practice and innovation.
Last month, Nursing in Practice reported that the government has committed to develop a new long-term workforce plan for the NHS, with a greater focus on school nursing and public health visitors.
