A record number of staff left their posts at Great Western Hospitals Trust last year, new figures show.

It comes as the number of NHS resignations across England soared, with nursing, doctor and midwife trade unions highlighting national issues like poor pay and a lack of mental and physical support as critical reasons for the exodus.

NHS Digital figures, which are rounded to the nearest five, show around 657 NHS staff resigned from their roles at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust from September 2021 to September 2022.

This was up from approximately 567 the previous year, and up again from 458 the year before – the year leading up to the coronavirus pandemic – and the highest number since records began a decade earlier.

The figures cover medical and administrative staff and resignation does not necessarily mean the staff member has left the NHS altogether, as the figures also include any promotions and relocations.

But while there is a year-on-year increase in the number of staff members resigning from their roles, the hospital explains that it has more staff now than it did before as it has been recruiting faster than people are leaving. 

A Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “We work hard to recruit and retain great staff, developing a diverse and inclusive workforce and supporting staff to fulfil their potential, as demand grows and models of care change.

“Although we have seen a slight increase in voluntary turnover of staff, we have actually seen a year-on-year increase in the size of our workforce and now have almost 5,500 staff working for us – compared to 5,263 a year ago – as we continue to invest in providing safe levels of staffing in our wards and departments.”

But, across the country, 140,000 staff members resigned from the NHS last year – up from 99,000 the year before – while an average of 101,000 staff resigned annually in the nine years before the pandemic.

Pat Cullen, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, has explained that these figures are indicative of a wider problem in the NHS

He said: "Years of underinvestment – including a decade of real-term pay cuts – means record numbers of staff are leaving the NHS."

Among the departures across England last year were 30,740 nurses and health visitors who voluntarily left their posts – the highest number on record and a 13 per cent increase from 2019-20.

Of them, 145 were based at Great Western Hospitals Trust – up from 115 in 2019-20.

In addition to this, a record 2,260 midwives voluntarily resigned across England in 2021-22 – including around 25 at Great Western Hospitals Trust.