Although the number of people on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register rose by 26,403 to a record 758,303 in the year to 31 March 2022, some 27,133 left the register. This was an increase of 13%, reversing a downward trend in leavers over recent years.
Nurses and midwives have to be registered with the NMC before they can work in the NHS. Not everybody on the register will currently be working.
When a sample of leavers were asked about their top three reasons for doing so, retirement (42.9%) was the most frequently cited. However, 18.3% put too much pressure on their mental health in their top three, and 13% said the workplace culture was having a negative effect on them.
