The NHS has long been in a situation of economic turmoil. Indeed, many people are actually fighting to keep the NHS from falling apart as we speak.
There’s good reason for this. The NHS has served the United Kingdom well since it was first put in place. It’s impossible to think of the amount of people who would have suffer had it not been for the National Health Service.
There are longer waiting times, and a drop in the high standards of patient care in some areas/places, but over all the NHS is still fighting hard to survive.
One way people are trying to reduce their usage of the NHS is by using private health care if they can afford to. This not only helps patients receive quicker treatment, but frees up space within the NHS waiting list.
Now, the NHS is facing another problem with an announced shortage of nurses. Why is there a nursing shortage? It’s possible that there is a shortage of nurses because most people going into medicine want to work as a doctor.
This is understandable as nurses work the same hours for low levels of pay and experience similar risks in their job. In fact on average nurses actually spends more time with patients than doctors and are treated worse for it.
It’s possible that the government need to do more to encourage students and young people to take up a career in nursing. If they do this, they could stabilise the situation.
Right now, staff shortages mean it’s the patient’s suffering the most. Wait times will increase and quality of care will be terribly low. There is also the chance of an increase in infections and ward born bugs. As such, it is crucial that something is done to remedy this situation.
While the hours are long and the job can be stressful, nursing can be incredibly rewarding. You can find out more in the following infographic.
