NHS staff shortages could reach 250 000 by 2030 without urgent action, experts warn

The NHS could be short of a quarter of a million healthcare staff by 2030 unless urgent and sustained action is taken to improve recruitment and retention, a group of leading experts have warned. In a briefing paper1 the King’s Fund, the Health Foundation, and the Nuffield Trust predicts that NHS staff shortages in England could increase from 100 000 at present to almost 250 000 by 2030 if not dealt with. This could reach 350 000 if the NHS continues to lose staff and cannot attract skilled workers from abroad, the analysis …