Record numbers of NHS staff have been dismissed by Wes Streeting‘s new ‘zero tolerance’ policy on incompetence.
There were nearly 7,000 dismissals in 2024-25, according to NHS data, up nearly by double two years ago when around 4,000 were dismissed.
This is a record figure since figures were first collected in 2011.
More than half of these NHS staff were let go on ‘capability’ grounds.
It comes as Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned NHS managers they would be fired if they failed to perform in league tables, published in autumn for the first time.
He vowed to bring in a ‘zero tolerance’ policy on poor performance, saying there would be ‘no more rewards for failure’ in November 2024.
Gareth Lyon, the head of health and social care at think tank Policy Exchange, told the Telegraph: ‘People who can’t – or won’t – do their job should be sacked.
Wes Streeting has introduced a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to poor performance in the NHS as a record 7,000 NHS staff were sacked
The NHS have had a tough year with junior doctors doing on strike earlier this month as the superflu outbreak backed up hospitals
‘The NHS needs to significantly up its game, and that will only happen with a more rigorous approach to performance management – including firing people not up to the job.’
1.8 per cent of staff who left NHS jobs in 2024-25 were dismissed from their positions, according to the NHS data.
This is up from 1.2 per cent a decade earlier.
The average cost of replacing a member of NHS staff stands at £6,500 per person, according to FOI requests from every NHS Trust analysed by not-for-profit organisation Skills for Health’s.
Jon Freegard, the director of Skills for Health’s consultancy and research division, said the sharp rise in dismissals was ‘regrettable’ but stuck by the new policy, saying that it would reflect months or even years of underperformance being rooted out.
He believes that more should be done to tackle incompetence and that some employees will be able to improve with the right support.
Mr Freegard added: ‘No one can argue against those who are not up to the job being dismissed, but there’s an additional factor to consider here: Why are underperformers so costly to replace?’
Steve Barclay, the former health secretary, said: ‘There is a deeply ingrained culture within the NHS where complaints are seen as a problem rather than an opportunity for improvement and alongside that a reluctance to hold individuals to account for failures.
The dismissals have been described as ‘regrettable’ but bosses stuck by it
‘It is particularly apparent in the revolving door of managers who fail in one organisation only to end up transferred elsewhere in the NHS, and clinicians who have been able to continue working and putting patients at risk long after warning signs have become clear.’
However, when compared to private sector dismissal rates, these NHS dismissal are fairly low.
With 1.5million staff total working for the NHS, the 7,000 dismissals accounts for less than 0.5 per cent of their employees being dismissed in 2024-25.
This is significantly lower than the estimated average figure across the private sector which stands between 2 and 3 per cent, the Telegraph said.
The NHS have had a tough year with junior doctors going on strike earlier this month as the superflu outbreak backed up hospitals.
The strikers were warned their absence would mean that some patients would have to stay in hospital over Christmas as there was not enough staff to safely discharge them, but the strikes went ahead anyway.
Responding to the dismissal figures, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘Performance management is essential in the NHS as we look to drive up standards and make sure patients are getting the care they deserve. As we work hard to fix our NHS, early intervention and proper support for staff will prevent performance issues arising in the first place.
‘After years of damage, our 10 year health plan is making sure staff have access to the training and resources they need to thrive in their roles and deliver outstanding care.’
