Disappearing NHS Jobs Show True Impact of Financial Crisis

4.49.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 14th May 2007

Commenting on recent figures showing that the NHS workforce has fallen by approximately 17,000 in the past year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP said:

"Government spinning and denial cannot conceal the fact that frontline medical jobs have been lost as a direct result of this Government's appalling mismanagement of the NHS.

"Nurses and ambulance staff have been particularly badly hit - dealing a dangerous blow to workforce morale and affecting vital services for patients.

"Some of these 'disappearing jobs' may also explain why newly qualified nurses are unable to find jobs and are being driven away from the profession.

"Doctors and nurses are the heartbeat of the NHS. It is crazy that we are investing in training more nurses and doctors but then cutting back on posts. This is a total failure of workforce planning."

The new figures show that since the last published census of NHS staff a year ago:

• Total drop: 17,000 (year-on-year)

• From 2005-6 there has been a drop in the headcount of professionally qualified clinical staff of 2718.

• There was a drop in the headcount total number of nurses of 2456 nurses 2005-6.

• Qualified ambulance staff fell by 1941 (-10.7%). Full time equivalent qualified ambulance staff fell by 1694 (-9.7%).