NHS staff retention schemes have cut the number of workers leaving the service to 10.01% and saved significantly in temporary staffing costs.
NHS staff retention schemes have helped cut the number of workers leaving the health service to one of its lowest levels in over a decade and saved significantly in temporary staffing costs.
A review published of the NHS’s People Promise staff retention initiative found that one in ten (10.1%) hospital and community healthcare workers left the NHS in the 12 months up to September 2024.
This is nearly 21,300 fewer than in the same period up to September 2022, when one in eight (12.5%) left the health service.
For comparison, the proportion is the lowest since the pandemic, when the leavers rate fell to 9.2%, and the second-lowest since 2010 when the rate was at 10.0%.
The fall in the number of leavers has been attributed to support from an initial two-year programme aimed at finding new ways to improve retention in the NHS. There has also been a reduction in sickness and absence rates, and an improvement in productivity.
“Our People Promise staff retention programme shows what’s possible when you work closely with staff to make changes that improve their lives, whether supporting flexible working or making simple alterations to rostering processes,” said Em Wilkinson-Brice, director for staff experience and leadership development at NHS England and who led the programme.
Less stress
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for example, piloted team-based rostering as part of the retention programme. This allowed staff to have more control over the pattern of a working week.
Staffing levels and skill mix required hour-by-hour throughout the working day were agreed in advance and staff were then able to go online to request their shifts.
The pilot resulted in staff and teams feeling they had more control over their working life, which allowed them to improve their travel to work and family time.
Staff members said they felt less stressed, more informed and were able to work around home commitments. This led to lower-than-average sickness levels and lower staff turnover across the wards where it was implemented.
The programme, which has been led by NHS England since April 2022, supported 23 NHS organisations and has since been expanded to support a further 116 organisations – including more mental health and community trusts, as well as primary care and ambulance services.
Around 4,500 staff members were supported to stay in the health service thanks to the programme. The report found that efficient use of e-rostering, supporting flexible working and flexible retirement, and local listening sessions for staff had the biggest impact on improvements to leaver rates.
