A RECORD number of staff at Barnsley Hospital left their role last year, new figures have revealed.
Experts suggest the aftermath of the pandemic, and an increase in people taking deferred retirement may be contributing to the rise.
Statistics from NHS Digital show that around 400 people resigned from their posts at the Gawber Road site last year.
A further 70 nurses and health visitors also chose to leave their jobs in the year to March.
In total, approximately 585 staff members left their jobs in 2022/23, a five per cent increase on the 555 who left in 2020/21, during the height of the pandemic.
The figures cover medical and administration staff and are rounded to the nearest five.
A resignation does not necessarily mean the staff member has left the NHS altogether, as the numbers also include any promotions and relocations.
In the last year, approximately 115 doctors left their roles at Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, a decrease of four per cent compared to 2020/21, when 120 left.
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers part of the NHS Confederation, said: “There is a sense that staff who deferred retirement due to the pandemic and its recovery are now choosing to enact their plans, and there is also undoubtedly significant numbers of staff moving between organisations to pursue financial and career opportunities.”
Trusts across England saw 222,690 workers leaving their roles in the NHS between 2022/23, 63 per cent of whom resigned.
The remainder left for other reasons, such as retirement, dismissal or reaching the end of their fixed contract.
Ellie Orton OBE, chief executive at NHS Charities Together, said: “In addition to the aftermath of Covid-19 - including ever-increasing wait lists, long hours and public scrutiny - many roles can take a substantial physical and mental toll.”
Mr Mortimer said the new workforce plan challenges NHS organisations to improve working environments across their services and teams.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the first ever NHS Long-Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4bn government funding, will deliver the biggest training expansion in NHS history and recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years.
They added: “We know that if we are to build a stronger, healthier NHS for the long-term with patients at its centre, it is vital to have the workforce to support it.
“There are record numbers of doctors working in the NHS with over 5,800 more compared to this time last year and we are on track to meet our commitment of 50,000 more nurses by the end of this Parliament, with over 44,000 more nurses in April 2023 compared with September 2019.”
