The nursing workforce peaks at a record level, with the number of nurses, midwives, and nursing associates on the NMC register hitting 826,418. This is the very first time that this figure has topped the 800,000 mark. It has shot up by a total high of 37,723, which is an increase of 4.8 percent during the same period last year and an incredible 18.4 percent increase
five years ago. The whole rise in number further underlines the increasing demand and need for healthcare professionals across the UK. The number of nurses and midwives on the NMC register has increased by 4.6 and 5.8 percent, respectively, since the end of 2023. Nursing associates rose by a high margin of 16.6 percent. Dual registrants, who are both nurses and midwives, grew by 2.5 percent.
First-time Joiners Rose by 49,032
New registrants are among the most significant of these joiners. The number of healthcare professionals who joined the NMC in the past year rose by 15% to 59,991 from 52,193 last year. This is almost double of 2018-2019 when there were only 30,618 professionals on the register.
The split between UK-educated and internationally-educated professionals joining the profession is roughly even. The numbers are 30,363 joiners from within the UK and 29,628 joiners from overseas. The number of foreign hires is up 18% over the previous year, indicating that the rise is still substantial, year over year. With 14,615 healthcare professionals joining the field in the past year from a global perspective, India has stood out among the other countries.
Additional Read: WHO Report: Over 5 Million Nurse & Midwife Jobs Unfilled by 2030
More International Applications and Recruitment
The successively increasing number of recruits of international healthcare professionals is a sign of good recruitment drives. Over twice as many foreign-trained midwives are now joining the UK as compared to last year. For instance, 711 more recruits joined the register this quarter as opposed to last year.
With respect to this change, joiners from some ‘red list’ countries where active recruitment is strictly limited became an ethical issue. In order to maintain global health equity, employers and recruitment agencies are instructed to adhere to the existing codes of practice to attain ethical recruitment standards.
There is growing diversity in the nursing workforce, which is being observed and recorded. Black and ethnic minority professionals currently make up over one-third of the NMC’s membership. This represents the UK healthcare sector’s diversification in multiculturalism enriching the workforce with different perspectives and experiences.
Challenges Ahead
The growth is slight, but the proportion of professionals leaving the register is actually declining. It’s now at 4.2 percent for the year 2018/19, down to 3.4 percent over the last year. This is still one-fifth of those who quit within the first ten years of entering the field in the last 12 months.
While retirement is the most common reason for leaving, issues of poor health, burnout, and concern about insufficient staffing level numbers and quality of care are becoming increasingly frequent. An increasing number of midwives reported a higher number of severe problems regarding support from colleagues and were less likely to recommend their career path than nurses.
Wrapping Up
The growing UK nursing workforce is a welcome development for the profession; this reflects a surging need for complex and compassionate care. However, retention and workforce support are amongst other critical challenges. These are issues of paramount concern and have to be dealt with. Dynamic Healthstaff believes that this is the best opportunity to work in the UK’s developing healthcare sector. Whether you are a nurse, midwife, or nursing associate, contact us today at enquiry@dynamichealthstaff.com or +919810017608 to start your journey and make the most out of this growing demand!
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