A new review of the NHS's People Promise staff retention initiative shows 10.1% hospital and community healthcare workers left the NHS in the 12 months up to September 2024 – nearly 21,300 fewer than in the same period up to September 2022 when 12.5% left the health service. 

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 supported by 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.

In addition, the analysis shows that the number of leavers fell by an average of 11.8% for organisations involved in the pilot – with those implementing more interventions improving their leaver rates the most. 

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.

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.

Professor Em Wilkinson-Brice, director for staff experience and leadership development at NHS England, led the programme. She said: ‘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.

‘I'm delighted that we've been able to expand the initiative to a further 116 organisations so that we can provide a world-class service that's appreciated by both staff and patients across the country. I'd encourage all NHS organisations to prioritise retention by making changes that will improve the everyday working experiences of their teams.'

Minister for Health Stephen Kinnock said: ‘NHS staff have been overworked for far too long, but it's great to see initiatives like these keep thousands of them in the workforce.

‘We know there's still a lot to be done to alleviate pressures on staff and to fix the broken NHS.'

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust piloted team-based rostering at part of the retention programme – allowing 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.

In addition, Barts Health NHS Trust implemented 23 interventions – from offering pension seminars and clinics, enhancing the induction process for international medical graduates, promoting flexible working by developing and implementing a flexible and agile working policy, and improving rostering – which led to its leaver rate being reduced by 17%.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust also advertises flexibility in all its roles and includes flexible working within their recruitment training for managers. They have saved more than £10m in temporary staffing costs this year in correlation with improvements in retention, recruitment and transition from using agency to bank working.

REACTION

Caroline Waterfield, director of development and employment at NHS Employers, said: 'It is welcome to see the fall in the number of workers leaving the NHS and the positive impact of the sustained focus on actions that make a difference to staff experience and ensure our talented staff do not leave.

'Local employers and the national NHS England team leading this work should be proud of these achievements, which have been made in the toughest of contexts.'

NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said: 'With the pilot scheme also showing a welcome fall in sickness and absence rates and a boost in productivity, it's important we now look at how we extend this scheme across the health service.

'This is vital given the NHS in England alone is grappling with over 106,000 vacancies and more than one in four staff absences is due to anxiety, stress and depression, and other psychiatric illnesses.'