London has 400 more hospital doctors but 300 fewer nurses than a year ago, figures revealed today.
There were 21,692 full-time doctor posts — not including family GPs — in the capital in May, compared with 21,286 a year earlier, the Health and Social Care Information Centre said.
But the number of nursing posts at NHS hospitals fell by 314 to 52,100. This is 349 more full-time nurses than at the May 2010 general election. The number of full-time doctors’ posts is 1,132 higher than at the time of the election.
Across England, the headcount of hospital and community health staff was 1,179,000 in May — 0.6 per cent down on 12 months earlier. The number of full-time posts was down 0.2 per cent to 1,032,044.
According to today’s statistics, the total number of nurses employed in the NHS in London — many who work part-time or share posts — fell by 296 in a year to 56,027.
Bernell Bussue, London regional director of the Royal College of Nursing, said: “Today’s figures support what we have been told by our members — that squeezed budgets are seeing nursing posts at threat across London.
“We also have concerns that the total figures may be hiding a wider problem of downgraded posts and cuts to leadership positions.
“The evidence shows that there is a direct link between staffing numbers, skill-mix and the quality of care that patients receive.”
