Why the UK’s care workforce is running on empty — and how we fix it

Health and social care is the backbone of the UK’s wellbeing, yet both sectors have hit crisis point with not enough skilled staff in the right places, with the right skills. Vacancies remain stubbornly high, demand keeps rising, and the pressure on existing staff is becoming harder to ignore. So how do we build a workforce that can meet the demands of today and tomorrow? 

How did we get here? 

The UK’s health and care system has become a pressure cooker of workforce demands, each new strain turning up the heat. An ageing population demands more complex care. The sector has traditionally seen a high staff turnover which is fuelled by low pay, limited progression and challenging working conditions.

At the same time, the gap between the number of staff needed and the number of people entering the sector continues to widen, creating a persistent mismatch between supply and demand. Younger people often face barriers to entry too - from limited awareness of the wide range of roles available, to inconsistent access to work experience and careers guidance, all of which make it harder to attract new talent into the profession.

When the pressure builds… 

Skills shortages in health and social care have created a cycle that’s tough to break. With too few staff, those who remain take on heavier workloads, leading to stress, fatigue and burnout, which in turn drives even more people to leave the sector. Rising sickness absence, lower job satisfaction and a growing reliance on junior or less experienced staff all contribute to a fragile workforce that’s under increasing strain. Managers are stretched too, often covering administrative tasks that pull them away from strategic oversight, further affecting service efficiency and support for frontline teams.

These pressures inevitably impact the people relying on care. Patients face longer waiting times, reduced continuity of care and increased safety risks as stretched teams struggle to meet demand. To plug gaps, providers often turn to agency staff, which keeps services running but at a much higher cost. This financial pressure diverts money away from long-term improvements and direct patient services, reinforcing the wider instability. The result is an entire system feeling the effects of a workforce that simply isn’t big enough, and a growing recognition that solving the shortage is essential for improving care, quality, and sustainability.

So, what’s the answer? Well, if we knew that, we wouldn’t be working in recruitment! We know there’s no single fix, but there are some changes that we, as a nation, could start to make to put the industry on the road to recovery… 

1. Long term thinking

For years, the sector has been caught in short-term cycles of reacting to problems rather than preventing them; sticking plasters over the issues. A more sustainable approach means setting clear, long-term goals across both the NHS and social care, and matching training and funding to those targets.

2. Plug the leaks and retain talent 

Retention is just as important as recruitment. Many people leave care roles because of workload, pay, limited progression or burnout. Improving conditions — from predictable hours, to supportive supervision, to clearer career pathways — can make a huge difference.

For social care in particular, better pay and development opportunities would help stabilise a workforce that often loses staff to retail and hospitality simply because those sectors can offer higher wages and less pressure. Investing in the people already in the sector is one of the fastest ways to reduce shortages.

3. Nurture home-grown talent

Meeting future demand means encouraging more people to qualify into health and care. Expanding training places for doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and social workers is essential, but so is widening access.

Apprenticeships, earn-while-you-learn routes, and local training partnerships can remove financial barriers and attract people who may not have considered a traditional university route. Reaching students earlier, in schools and colleges, helps build a brighter, more diverse talent pipeline.

4. Bring in global skills and build up local ones

International staff will likely remain a vital part of the workforce, especially in the short term. Ethical recruitment, strong pastoral support, and good progression opportunities help ensure people who relocate to work in the UK actually stay. International hiring should complement rather than replace domestic training.

5. Support social care — the foundation the NHS relies on

Social care shortages impact the entire health system. Without enough carers, people stay in hospital beds longer, demand rises, and pressure builds. A more stable funding model for social care would help providers improve pay, invest in development, and offer the stability needed to attract and retain staff.

6. Make better use of skills and technology

New roles, smarter skill-mix, and digital tools can support overstretched teams. When the right people are focused on the right tasks, and technology takes care of admin, scheduling or simple assessments, staff time goes further and patient care improves.

7. Think local, not just national

Shortages vary by region, so solutions need to reflect local realities. Partnerships between councils, NHS trusts, colleges, care providers and community organisations can help tailor recruitment and training to the needs of specific towns, rural areas or growing regions.

These are big challenges, but we like to think they’re solvable. With long-term planning and a more joined-up approach to training and retention, the UK can rebuild a more resilient, stable and sustainable health and social care workforce.

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