The UK is short of 2,256 anaesthetists and nearly a fifth of those currently working in the NHS plan to leave within five years, raising fresh concerns about the future of surgical services.
The figures, posted by the BMJ on X, come alongside a commentary by Scarlett McNally warning that surgery risks grinding to a halt without more anaesthetists. The shortage means operating theatres cannot always run at full capacity — no anaesthetist, no operation.
Anaesthetists (doctors who administer the medicines that keep patients unconscious and pain-free during surgery) are essential to almost every planned and emergency procedure. A gap of 2,256 posts is not a rounding error. It represents thousands of cancelled or delayed operations across the country.
The 19% planning to leave figure is chiefly striking when set against how long it takes to train a replacement. Anaesthetic training in the UK takes a minimum of seven years after medical school, so any departure today creates a gap that cannot be filled quickly.
For patients in Kent already waiting for surgery, the shortage has a direct bearing on how long that wait may be. NHS Kent and Medway has, like trusts across England, faced persistent pressure on elective (planned) surgery capacity since the pandemic.
The BMJ’s post does not attribute the shortage to a single cause, and no government or NHS England response is included in the source material. But the scale — more than two thousand unfilled posts, with attrition accelerating — points to a workforce problem that goes beyond normal vacancy rates.
Patients waiting for surgery who have concerns about their care can contact NHS 111 for guidance, or speak directly to their GP. Anyone facing a medical emergency should call 999.
Source: @bmj_latest