THOUSANDS of nursing shifts are going unfilled across the NHS and the number is rising, data suggests.
Figures from NHS Professionals, which manages temporary staff in 80 trusts across England, showed 30.3% of shifts made at short notice on average went unfilled last year.
This is up on the 27.5% in 2009, and means staff could not be found in time.
In December, around 29,500 short-notice requests for temporary nursing staff were made.
Analysis by the Nursing Standard magazine showed more than 8,800 shifts were unfilled in December.
The NHS Employers report, National Trends, said “short- notice demand (shifts released within 24 hours of the start of the shift) continues to grow.”
