A recent report says that NHS is in crisis, with a shortage of doctors, nurses and midwives crippling the health service across England.

The report from a cross-party group of MPs led by former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Government must tackle "the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS" as it deals with the aftereffects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The study by the Health and Social Care Committee criticised the absence of a long-term plan to address stalling recruitment and persistent short-staffing, adding that the NHS is currently in need of tens of thousands of workers.

We have taken a look at NHS figures for trusts across south east London and north Kent to see how the workforce has changed in recent years, as the crisis across the country has become starker.

  • Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 

Doctors: 501 in April 2022 which is up from 442 last year and 325 in April 2016 – this is a rise of 54 per cent over the last six years.

Midwives: 144 midwives in April 2022 which is down from 151 last year.

Nurses and health visitors: 1,081 in April 2020 which is up from 903 last year and from 800 at the start of the pandemic.

  • King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Doctors: 2,215 last year and 1,821 in April 2016 – this is a rise of 26 per cent over the last six years.

Midwives: 360 midwives in April 2016 which is up from 355 last year.

Nurses and health visitors: 4,063 nurses and health visitors in April 2022 which is up from 3,932 last year and 3,263 at the start of the pandemic.

  • Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust

Doctors: 164 full-time doctors as of April 2022 which is down 172 from last year but up on the 156 in April 2016.

This is a rise of 5 per cent over the last six years.

Nurses and Health visitors: 851 in April 2022 which is up from 838 last year and 810 at the start of the pandemic.

  • Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust Doctors

 179 last year and 140 in April 2016 which is a rise of 32 per cent over the last six years.

Nurse and health visitors: 1,076 nurses and health visitors in April 2022 which is up from 1,051 last year and 1,049 at the start of the pandemic.

  • South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Doctors: 467 full-time doctors as of April 2022 which is up from 462 last year and 421 in April 2016.

This is a rise of 11 per cent over the last six years.

Nurses and Health Visitors: 1,071 nurses and health visitors in April which is down from 1,343 last year and 1,235 at the start of the pandemic.

Nationally, there were 128,000 FTE doctors in NHS trusts in April, up from 124,000 the year before and 104,000 in 2016.

But the workforce figures, which provide a snapshot overview, do not account for the number of health care workers who joined and left the NHS in between counts, nor do they indicate how staffing levels compare to demand for services.

The report by the Health and Social Care Committee said the NHS must still recruit a further 12,000 hospital doctors to address a current national shortfall.

The MPs’ report says 2,000 more midwives are urgently needed to address staffing shortages.

The Royal College of Midwives said people are leaving the industry because "morale is shattered".

There is a vast shortage of nurses nationally, with the NHS needing to urgently recruit more than 50,000 nurses and midwives.

The Royal College of Nursing said persistent understaffing "poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety" and urged the Government to take immediate action.

All trusts have been contacted for further comment.

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