Trend Nursing shortages colliding with an older, sicker population

Summary

In the short term, the report expects a shortage of skilled nurses to collide with an increasingly sick and ageing population. That could worsen the quality of and access to care and lower both staff and patient satisfaction. The report explains that an ageing population drives skills shortages by increasing demand for health and social care while shrinking the share of people of working age. Adult social care already reports a shortfall of more than 100,000 staff and a vacancy rate of 8%, which affects care backlogs and staff wellbeing. The report judges that addressing skills shortages in the NHS would improve the quality of healthcare in the UK. One response listed is the 2020 skilled worker visa, which lowers the bar for roles in short supply.