Revealed: record 170,000 staff leave NHS in England as stress and workload take toll

Health service shown to be under some of worst pressure in its history in week Rishi Sunak launched plan to retain and recruit workforce

You start thinking you will crack': former NHS tell their stories

Nearly 170,000 workers left their jobs in the NHS in England last year, in a record exodus of staff struggling to cope with some of the worst pressures ever seen in the country's health system, the Observer can reveal.

More than 41,000 nurses were among those who left their jobs in NHS hospitals and community health services, with the highest leaving rate for at least a decade. The number of staff leaving overall rose by more than a quarter in 2022, compared to 2019.