Doctors must be paid more, but money alone won’t solve the NHS’s recruitment woes
It’s not just pay, the NHS’s cumbersome recruitment process must be reformed if we are to fix our broken healthcare system, writes Jonathan Evans
Pressure is mounting on the UK healthcare system. The situation only looks to get worse with Sunak’s new visa rules coming into effect, meaning those on social care visas can no longer bring dependents with them when moving to the UK.
This will likely mean a significant reduction in the number of people coming from overseas to work in the already overworked and underpaid UK healthcare sector.
These new rules will particularly affect the public sector – but the private sector isn’t immune to problems either. Private healthcare providers are facing mounting pressure, with more people than ever turning to private care to dodge the long waits in the NHS.
We see the media talk extensively about pay rises being critical to solving this problem, which is undoubtedly the case. Junior doctors will this week begin a six-day strike (the longest in the NHS’s history), with doctors calling for a 35 per cent pay rise. However, one topic we don’t see being discussed enough is the toll recruitment delays are having on the sector.
Delays in recruitment hinder organisations from promptly filling vacancies, causing a ripple effect that impacts the onboarding of new employees and short-term staff who require more support from over-stretched, permanent staff. This issue is particularly acute in an industry where employees often transition between roles, trusts and hospitals.
The consequences of these challenges are substantial, impacting not only the well-being of staff and patients but also the overall functioning of healthcare organisations.
According to our latest data, there is widespread acknowledgement of these challenges among healthcare decision-makers. A significant majority (97 per cent) acknowledge the existence of recruitment delays in the sector. Similarly, an overwhelming number (98 per cent) highlight the adverse effects these delays are having on the sector.
Ultimately, delays are leading to severe understaffing, which negatively impacts morale and productivity, and contributes to a high employee turnover. Addressing these issues is crucial for the overall health and efficiency of the healthcare system.
Recruitment delays aren’t just a headache for morale and patient care either; they’re hitting health organisations where it hurts – their wallets. Digidentity’s survey found a substantial financial burden, with each organisation spending an average of £544,000 per year on locums and overtime shifts to plug the workforce gap.
Financial strain is highest in London, where 69 per cent of organisations report investments ranging from £101,000 to £1m. These substantial funds need to be invested in the right areas. The current approach not only places a strain on budgets but also diverts essential investment and resources from other critical healthcare services. This is especially worrisome for the NHS, where budgets are already stretched thin. It’s time for a more sustainable solution that better addresses the issue.
The way to tackle these issues is through a comprehensive digital transformation strategy. The system agrees too – 74 per cent of survey participants from Digidentity’s research agreed that digital tools would streamline and accelerate the recruitment and identity verification process.
Investing in technologies that do not compromise on speed, data security and compliance is essential. By moving away from cumbersome recruitment systems and giving doctors and healthcare professionals a simple and secure way to prove who they are, and their professional credentials, the healthcare sector will have more time and money to improve patient care and boost staff morale. It would also remove the requirement for recruitment agencies and the astronomical costs associated with them.
There’s a collective recognition that a technologically-driven approach to recruitment is key to fostering resilience and efficiency within the healthcare system. What we need is an agreement and commitment to the approach, and strong leadership to discharge the change.