New data released by NHS Digital has shown that 29,000 full-time job vacancy adverts were posted in the first three months of 2016 - a level deemed 'really worrying' by experts.
NHS Digital warned that vacancy levels could actually be higher in an announcement which coincided with workforce data published by the organisation, showing May broke records for the number of nursing staff employed by the NHS - 300,000, excluding health visitors.
The sheer volume of vacancies shows the level of demand for nurses in the wake of the 2013 Francis Report, but has been met with concern from Health Foundation director Anita Charlesworth, who went on to warn against judging nursing in terms of just worker headcount.
Parliament's health select committee has implored the government to stop reducing public health funds, stating that the cuts were 'destablilsing' the NHS in a report published last week.
Named 'Public Health post-2013 structures, organisation, funding and delivery inquiry,' the report pointed out that 72% of local authorities are planning to cut drugs and alcohol services - an increase on 46% the year before.
Funding for local authority health visitors will also be cut in 56% of authorities - as opposed to 13% last year - and 12% are decommissioning weight management funding, sparking concern from the committee.
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2. NHS Trusts Will Lose Millions in Funds Earmarked for Staff Training
The Department of Health is cutting millions in funds used to support the training of nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals following the Treasury's decision to remove Health Education England from the ringfence surrounding health spending.
The HEE-distributed tariff used to fund training and education at NHS trusts is currently worth £2.4 billion, but the government is seeking to cut the amount by 2% over the 2016/17 financial year.
A document released by the DH concerning tariffs argued that such cuts were necessary as a 4% increase in trainees into the system was resulting in significant cost pressures.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has published its first report into revalidation, showcasing that 90% of the current workforce have successfully completed the process.
Introduced in April 2016 as a way of increasing public confidence in the profession, certain sector figures were concerned that the upheaval surrounding the new regulation could negatively impact the profession.
However, this first report shows that its revalidation figure of 90% is roughly in line with the NMC's expectations that 91% to 94% of the UK's workforce would revalidate.