Research Methods: Analyzing and Solving Staff Shortage Issues at NHS

This report investigates the critical issue of staff shortages within the National Health Service (NHS) in England, exploring its causes, impacts, and potential solutions. The research identifies that the shortage of skilled staff significantly affects the organization's overall performance, service delivery, and profitability. Factors contributing to this shortage include funding challenges, wage issues, skills management, working conditions, and government policies. The report analyzes data indicating a substantial number of nursing and midwifery vacancies, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to increased workload and burnout among existing staff. To address these challenges, the report suggests strategies such as enhancing recruitment practices, providing training and development opportunities for current employees, and improving employee retention through better working conditions and morale. The findings emphasize the urgent need for the NHS to implement effective strategies to mitigate staff shortages and ensure the delivery of high-quality healthcare services.

Research Methods

Contents
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................3
Business Research Problem................................................................................................................3
Research Aim....................................................................................................................................3
Research Objectives..........................................................................................................................3
Research Questions...........................................................................................................................4
Different ways in which the organization can address the issue of staff shortage..............................4
Impact of staff shortage on the overall performance of the organization...........................................4
Causes of staff shortage in an organization........................................................................................5
Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................................5
Findings................................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
There are various problems that an organization can come across during its operations
that can have a potential impact on its overall efficiency as well as performance to a great
level (Brooks, Lainio and Lažetić, 2020). It is important for any organization to identify
potential problems as well as develop effective strategies for the same. The respective report
is based on the organization, NHS or National Health Service, which is a publicly funded
organization in England. The company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom and
offers a variety of health-related services such as urgent and emergency care services,
dentists, opticians as well as online services. The company is facing issues with issues like
shortage of staff and because of this, there is an impact on the overall performance as well as
profitability of the company. Thus, there is a significant need for the company to develop
effective strategies as well as implement the same in order to overcome the challenge.
Business Research Problem
The business research problem for the respective company is that it is facing issues
with its staff as there is a shortage. The number of trained staff members who can carry out
the different jobs as well as provide effective services to the patients or people who are in
need. A shortage in the staff us having a significant level of impact on the overall
performance as well as operations of the company (Certo and et.al., 2020). It can be stated
that a shortage of the staff members can have an impact on the overall revenues of the
company. It is important to ensure that the company takes into account the same. There have
been issues wherein some people have raised concerns about not receiving any proper
service. In the healthcare sector, there is a need for the companies to hire staff members that
are skilled as well as experienced (Wei, 2020). This is because it will ensure that the patients
receive best services and hence, they will be able to live a healthy lifestyle.
Research Aim
“To identify the different ways in which an organization can address the issue of staff
shortage. A case study on NHS.”
Research Objectives
 To identify the different ways in which the organization can address the issue of staff
shortage.

 To analyse the impact of staff shortage on the overall performance of the
organization.
 To understand the causes of staff shortage in an organization.
Research Questions
 What are the different ways in which the organization can address the issue of staff
shortage?
 What is the impact of staff shortage on the overall performance of the organization?
 What are the causes of staff shortage in an organization?
Literature Review
Different ways in which the organization can address the issue of staff shortage
There are different ways in which the respective organization, NHS can address the
issue of staff shortage. For instance, the company should ensure that the employees who are
already working in the company are effectively trained and that they are provided with all the
various training as well as developmental opportunities to ensure that they are able to develop
new skills as well as enhance their existing knowledge to a great extent (Chatzichristos and
Nagopoulos, 2021). This is because e when the existing employees will receive such
opportunities, they will be interested in staying with the company as well as putting in their
best efforts to help the company achieve its goals as well as objectives in an effective
manner. Apart from this, the company should also attract as well as recruit candidates that are
high performing as well as have effective knowledge about their jobs. Apart from this,
another measure that the company can take in order to address the issue of staff shortage is
that the company should train the existing employees as well as apply the different skills. The
company should also re-evaluate its recruiting practices as this will help it in attracting a
greater number candidates that are well suited for carrying out the different job roles within
the organization.
Impact of staff shortage on the overall performance of the organization
It can be stated that staff shortage can have an impact on the overall performance of
the respective organization, NHS. This is because the existing staff members within the
organization feel that there is a lot of pressure of work. When there is a shortage of group of
workers the obligations and workloads of existing workforce contributors growth, which
results in mistakes and other inefficiencies, and negatively effects person overall
performance, patron care, and in the end organisational overall performance. To guard the

patients the NHS need to have the proper variety and mix of staff, with the proper level of
schooling, qualification and revel in (Groenland and Dana, 2020). Numerous studies display
that low nurse staffing degrees had been associated with better charges of falls and deaths.
These consist of The Keogh review and the Berwick review. Reducing group of workers
makes existing personnel accountable for greater paintings, and elevated workload adds
pressure to finish paintings and meet performance expectations. Increased pressure lowers
morale and employee activity delight, takes a toll on an employee’s intellectual and bodily
health and can boom time wanted off paintings. Turnover quotes also growth while
overwhelmed workers give up their jobs in preference to preserve up with extended
workloads on the equal pay fee.
Causes of staff shortage in an organization
There are six elements which notably make a contribution to skilled labour shortages, that
are: funding, labour wage demanding situations, skills management, circumstance of
operating surroundings, education and experience, and authorities coverage. Shortages can
take some of exceptional forms (Hughes, 2020). Aggregate shortages arise in conditions of
complete employment, in which there are surely not sufficient workers to satisfy demand for
labour. Far more frequent, even though, is the hassle of shortages because of mismatch of
labour call for and deliver. Preferences mismatch: they will have good enough qualifications,
however do now not want to do a selected task due to inadequate pay, repute or running
conditions.
Data Analysis
It has been analysed that in order to overcome the challenge of staff shortage, the
company can focus on enhancing its current recruitment strategies. There is a first-rate issue
with nurse recruitment and retention (Lytra and et.al., 2020). The universal wide variety of
nurses hired has accelerated but this doesn't meet the expanded call for. Statistics from the
Royal College of Nursing in 2020 screen there are forty,000 nursing vacancies in health and
care settings in England. Despite a zero. 4% growth in nursing body of workers on account
that 2019, offerings continue to battle. The coronavirus pandemic has substantially multiplied
the pressure on frontline nurses. The RCN are concerned that the more responsibility and
stress placed on nurses ought to increase the exchange of body of workers “burnout”. This
comes amid a growing second wave of Covid patients, the annual pressures that accompany

the winter and the inevitable war to clear the growing backlog of cancelled appointments
from 2020.
Figure 1Limited availability of staff
Source: The wider impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the NHS, 2021
From the above graph, it can be stated that the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, has
resulted in the shortage of staff that is available for providing the healthcare services to the
people in the UK (The wider impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the NHS, 2021).
Retention is still a developing difficulty with improved pressures at the group of workers.
Research via the King’s Fund found that “Staff pressure, absenteeism and turnover inside the
professions have reached alarmingly high ranges.” The variety of nurses and fitness traffic in
England leaving their jobs in health facility and community settings inside the first three
years has risen nearly 50% considering 2013-14, standing at 28%.
Findings
By undertaking the above report, it has been found that there is a severe issue inside
the NHS with the shortage of midwives. According to the ultra-modern survey through the
Royal College of Midwives, 8 out of 10 midwives (83%) do no longer agree with their NHS
Trust or Board has sufficient workforce to function accurately. Furthermore, 42% record that
half of shifts are understaffed and a 3rd say there are significant gaps in rotas. Similarly, to
the shortages within nursing, there may be a serious toll taken on morale within midwifery
and maternity aid units. 71% of body of workers surveyed have taken into consideration
leaving their career and 38% of these are critically thinking about it (Staff shortages, 2021). It
shows retention could be a severe trouble for maternity offerings. Earlier in 2020, because the

coronavirus pandemic hit the dearth of midwives on NHS maternity devices doubled. 1 in 5
midwife posts were unfilled as of April 2020.
Figure 2: Staff Shortage in NHS
Source: NHS 'no chance of training enough staff', 2021
Also, it can be said that it has been found that NHS needs to develop effective
strategies so as to overcome from the challenge of staff shortage. This will allow the
organization to overcome the challenge. As per the data on the ONS dataset, the company has
been facing issues with the staff shortage. It has also been found that there can be various
challenges that the company has been facing because of the same. It is important to ensure
that the same is taken into account. Latest data of the ONS states that the staff information
indicates that the wide variety of completely certified, FTE GPs in March 2020 turned into
712 fewer than March 2019, a 2.5% decrease. There might ought to be a huge alternate
within the trend to fulfill the 2024/25 target. If the unique 2020 goal was met there could be
33,631 GPs by now however as a substitute there have been best 27,985 absolutely certified
GPs.
It has also been found that the company can overcome this challenge by ensuring that
the current staff members are offered effective training and that they are able to put in their
best efforts to help the company gain a better understanding of how can the patients be
provided with the most effective strategies such as making sure that the employees are
comfortable in working in different processes as well as with different team members
(Moltudal, Høydal and Krumsvik, 2020). This ensures that they are able to work in an
effective manner and hence, don’t look out for any opportunities in the market. As per the
latest ONS data, the number of healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses as well as
other healthcare staff. This has been causing a lot of challenges for the company because the

performance of the organization has gone down. And although there are a lot of different
medical as well as healthcare equipment available with the organization, it is still facing
issues because there is not enough staff to operate the same and provide the required service
to the patients.
Figure 3 Staff shoratge in NHS
Source: NHS staff shortage: How many doctors and nurses come from abroad?, 2021
From the above graph, it has been found that although the number of new hires have
been increased overall, the number of newly hired nurses has still not gone up very much
(NHS staff shortage: How many doctors and nurses come from abroad?, 2021). There has
been a shortage of staff in the respective company, NHS and this has affected the overall
delivery of services. It is important for the organization to attract as well as retain employees
that are high performing and put in their best efforts to help the patients recover from their
condition (O’Kane, Smith and Lerman, 2021). This is because these things can help the
company to gain a better level of performance and the trust of the people. It can be stated that
NHS has to implement strategies that will be helpful for it in overcoming the challenge of
staff shortage. National Health Service is one of the largest healthcare systems in the United
Kingdom that offers a variety of services to the people ensuring that they are able to live a
healthy life through the different services related to healthcare that they need (Sosa and
Grocott, 2020).

Figure 4: Staff shortage
Source: Why is the NHS struggling to recruit and retain permanent staff, and what can be
done about it?, 2021
From the above graph, it can be stated that the decline in the staff availability in NHS
has gone down. And this is mainly in the areas Central London as well as East London. It can
also be stated that this is mainly because of the shortage in the skills of the healthcare staff
(Why is the NHS struggling to recruit and retain permanent staff, and what can be done
about it?, 2021).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that if an organization faces various
challenges such as a shortage of staff, the company should develop effective strategy as well
measures to ensure that the goals are achieved effectively. For instance, the first measure that
the company can take in order to manage the respective challenge. There are different ways
in which the respective organization, NHS can address the issue of staff shortage. For
instance, the company should ensure that the employees who are already working in the
company are effectively trained and that they are provided with all the various training as
well as developmental opportunities to ensure that they are able to develop new skills as well
as enhance their existing knowledge to a great extent.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
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Chatzichristos, G. and Nagopoulos, N., 2021. Regional institutional arenas for social
innovation: a mixed methods research. Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, 12(3),
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Hughes, P., 2020. Paradigms, methods and knowledge. In Doing early childhood
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Lytra, I. and et.al., 2020. Quality attributes use in architecture design decision methods:
research and practice. Computing, 102(2), pp.551-572.
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Sosa, R. and Grocott, L., 2020. The creative translation of design methods into social
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Wei, L. ed., 2020. The bilingualism reader. Routledge.
Online
NHS 'no chance of training enough staff'. 2021. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47616491>.
NHS staff shortage: How many doctors and nurses come from abroad?. 2021. [Online].
Available through:< https://www.bbc.com/news/world-48205445>.
Staff shortages. 2021. [Online]. Available through:< https://nhsfunding.info/symptoms/10-
effects-of-underfunding/staff-shortages/>.
The wider impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the NHS. 2021. [Online]. Available
through:< https://ifs.org.uk/publications/14798>.
Why is the NHS struggling to recruit and retain permanent staff, and what can be done about
it?. 2021. [Online]. Available through:<
https://www.agencycentral.co.uk/articles/2017-01/raising-employment-in-the-
health-sector-nhs.htm>.