18% flexible health and social care workers considering leaving the sector, new report reveals

Challenges facing the UK’s health and care sector exposed. Many flexible workers reported feeling overstretched by their workload

Highlighting the growing workforce challenges in the UK, a new report has indicated that nearly one in five (18 per cent) flexible health and care sector workers, engaged in agency work through private providers, might leave the sector in the next two years.

With tens of thousands of flexible staff working within the sector every week, providing care for thousands of people, the report cautioned that failure to address their concerns could result in poor system performance and patient experience.

The report is based on views drawn from over 10,000 flexible health and social care professionals, including a significant number of those working in pharmacy, gathered by strategic workforce partners Acacium Group.

According to the report, 24 per cent of workers surveyed reported feeling overstretched by their workload, contributing to burnout and dissatisfaction.

Concerns about working conditions and the level of support from management were cited as key reasons why some healthcare professionals are considering leaving the sector.

Additionally, there were concerns regarding the availability of necessary tools, with over a quarter of flexible workers expressing dissatisfaction with their access to patient records, while 17 per cent also conveyed unhappiness with access to vital protective equipment.

Mike Barnard, CEO at Acacium Group, said: “The health and social care system depends on flexible workers to deliver essential services. They stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their permanent colleagues and are sometimes one and the same, with many full-time employees also engaging in flexible work.

“With widespread challenges across the health and social care sector, we must all come together as one. We need to make sure this crucial part of the workforce is fully supported to deliver the care patients need,” he added.

However, not all flexible workers are unhappy with their jobs. A notable 83 per cent of professionals expressed satisfaction with the overall working environment, while 65 per cent indicated they were 'extremely likely' to continue working in the sector for the next two years.

Flexibility is the main reason why health and social care professionals choose to take on non-permanent working options.

Among those surveyed, 34 per cent cited flexibility as the primary reason for pursuing this type of work, while nine per cent reported work-life balance and eight per cent cited family commitments as the main reasons for adopting flexible work.